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Lucyfer · Jun 23, 2016

“Ari, that is not going to help with your hangover,” Gnaeus stated bluntly as Ariel slammed her head into a cabinet. He answered her request quickly, putting three cinnamon rolls on a plate and offering them to her. “Paq, you want cinnamon rolls?” 

“Paq?” Kylo was obviously confused by the nickname. 

“Yeah. Her name sucks for nicknames. Speaking of—is that your name, or like…your new name?” 

She had to be a Knight by now. She’d been with them all the way to here. Didn’t she have a new name yet, like the rest of them? 

“It isn’t,” Kylo answered for her. 

Gnaeus frowned at that, “Shouldn’t that be fixed?” It was part of the whole deal, the initiation, the change into this new life. It was part of shedding the past and proving it no longer held influence over you. 

Sure, it was placebo bullshit, but it could be powerful placebo bullshit. 

~***~ 

“BB-8, you need to stay here,” Mira knelt down to be closer to level with the droid. It started to beep its protests, “Don’t. You’re a droid. If Finn starts to nod off, you need to keep him up, or wake Poe.” 

BB-8 let out a low beep. It didn’t want to stay, but Mira had a point. BB-8 didn’t need to sleep…and it needed to make sure these two stayed safe. 

It then immediately beeped at Hux about keeping Mira safe, and awake, too, before Mira stood again. She put a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “We’ll be back,” she spoke it as a promise, “You’ve got to learn to trust me, padawan,” she almost chuckled, but managed to maintain a stoic expression, before she turned and started to walk off. ‘Yes. I think so.’ It had come to her after she’d told Finn she wasn’t Luke. 

Because she hadn’t failed with Kevan, in the end. 

He hadn’t run, either, even though she’d told him to. Run and hide. 

No. That wasn’t ever going to be their way. And Finn had learned to stand up for what he believed in, too. 

When she was some distance away from the home and couldn’t see it any longer when she glanced back, she said, “You don’t have to stay back, Hux.” Privacy wasn’t the desire. Just to stay awake. To stay busy. To try and find a way off the cursed planet, and figure out what this call was. “The cat seems to like you quite a bit.” Though it didn’t follow, “It picked you over the two warm bodies on the bed.” Cat logic should have dictated it pick the warmer people. 

~***~ 

August was pleased with his son’s deductions of the major players. Organa and Hux were a given. Phasma, to August, was also a given. Poe Dameron was a name that he knew, but not well, and ‘Mira’ one as well. “Jedi or Sith. I am uncertain which, but she was once a Knight of Ren. Rumor has it Hux abandoned Snoke after she was ousted from the Knights. The full story is likely more interesting.” 

More and more the ties to Hux grew, but August knew little of how the so-called Jedi could have sway with Leia. He knew not the history. He knew not how this woman could have the sway to forge an alliance, but if it was true, it was worthy of investigating. 

And Hux fought. He expected it of Hux—he had been a damned cadet, he had better stay and fight. 

Leia didn’t surprise him, either. He remembered Wilhuff’s commentary on the stubborn princess, before his untimely death on the Death Star. “I am pleased to hear we have some leaders that know how to lead by example.” 

“Mm.” His wife echoed the sentiment. “But whom do we back? Organa is still a woman of the Core.” 

To say his wife disliked the Core Worlds would be an understatement. She was proud, and the women there always tried to make her feel small for being a mere Tarkin on a savage, outer rim world. Needless to say, it never worked to their favor. “Much as I am loathed to say it, we may need to throw in with Hux. He has the support of most of the Outer Rim. If he is willing to focus his attention to reclaiming the Outer Rim from Snoke, we can halt Snoke’s advance while playing into Hux’s own war. We’ll create a safe barrier around Eriadu by securing planets near us.” 

~***~ 

Leia looked over the security feed as Britney shifted rapidly through screens. “There,” she finally saw it, August and Johann in a room, and a hologram there of a woman with them—no doubt August’s wife, though Leia couldn’t be certain from the distance. 

Britney immediately selected that image, and all the others faded out. Volume was turned up. “…is still a woman of the Core.” 

The conversation went on from there, the trio able to hear what was being discussed. Leia arched an eyebrow. She said softly, “Eriadu must be in dire straits.” To even be considering this. “And Snoke is on the move elsewhere….” Not good news, but now they had some idea of his location, and what he was focusing on. Taking the Outer Rim. 

That would not benefit anyone.

KyloGlenn · Jun 24, 2016

It was Paquin's turn to frown. She didn't particularly want to change her name, but she was afraid that if she protested it, Kylo or the others would take it as an act of betrayal or something. Although it hadn't been mentioned, Paquin wasn't sure she was off the hook for the whole First Order ordeal. 

"What's wrong with Paquin?" 'My name, apparently.' 

Ariel took the cinnamon rolls from Gnaeus upon turning around to face the others. Her mouth was full of cinnamon roll when Paquin asked what was wrong, but she answered anyway. "It's just a thing when you join the Knights. Shed your old life and what not." It was a little hard to understand the redhead. "Haven't you ever had a name you wish was yours instead of Paquin?" 

"No, not really. Last name, sure," there was a period of time when she was bitter about being related to her parents, but she never minded her first name. Maybe she'd just say her new name was Magenta and move on. "Where are those cinnamon rolls from?" A half-assed attempt to change the subject, as well as obtain desired information on the breakfast. 

- 

Hux gave the droid a little gesture to acknowledge that he'd keep Mira safe. As he turned to follow after Mira, a grin erupted on Finn's face, no doubt at 'padawan'. Hux quickly followed after Mira, catching Finn saying, "Did you hear that, BB-8?" Accompanied by the droid's beeps. 

Mira gave him permission to walk along with her, and so he quickly caught up with her in a few quickened steps. The cat was spoken of, and a grin pulled at the corner of Hux's mouth. "I suppose she does. It might actually be because of the hair." Hux didn't rule it out. 

"I feel like I'm in debt to a cat now." The thought of taking the cat with him when they left Jakku hadn't crossed Hux's mind. "I'm admittedly going to miss the cat." Even her demon claws that had inserted themselves into his flesh. The cat had taken a liking to him, as he did her, oddly enough. He hoped she'd survive on the planet. 

"What are we looking for out here?" Hux questioned. Getting out of the tiny village would be easy. All they had to do was go either left, right, or straight. And there weren't any towns or outposts in sight, so he was curious how far Mira was going to go in the cold rain. 

- 

Johann briefly wondered if Hux would be petty enough to deny the Tarkins if they approached him with the offer. Johann was young when the Order approached his father, but he still remembered it. He liked to believe Hux wasn't that stupid. 

"Maybe deciding who to back won't be an issue. We may be getting a two for one deal with the way things are rumored to be going." Despite his mother's dislike for people of the Core and the disagreements to be had with the way each side dealt with things, that may not have been a bad thing for the Tarkins. 

Johann wouldn't get his parents too excited, though. It was all just rumors at that point. 

One step at a time, "Is a decision going to be reached here?" He questioned. If so, he probably should mention that there'd been no sign of Hux, or Dameron and the ex-Knight for that matter, since the fight concluded. The word missing hadn't reached Johann's ears yet. 

And the person with the next highest rank on Cimarosa at that moment, technically, was Commandant Hux. As far Johann knew, anyway. The elder Hux just barely edging Phasma out, even if she was portrayed higher. 

- 

The Outer Rim was known to be supporters of the First Order. And Snoke knew that, as well as how they'd be easy targets. Apart from Eriadu, of course. 

Phasma really wished Hux was there at that moment. Not only so that they could share the feeling that came along with the Tarkins considering coming to them for help, but also because they would need to make a move in the Outer Rim. Phasma hoped that Eriadu was the only planet Snoke was focusing on at that moment. 

But, on the brighter side, having the Tarkins as allies wouldn't be a bad thing. But again, Hux was needed for that. "I suppose we know what he was also here for." Phasma wasn't blind. August Tarkin, while he was also there for his son, was likely to be scoping out the Order and the Resistance.

Lucyfer · Jun 24, 2016

Ariel’s words were muffled, but they were clear enough to be made out by all in the room, fortunately. 

Yet, before the importance of it could really be expressed, she asked about the cinnamon rolls. Gnaeus decided to spare her the rest—he’d brought the topic up without thinking, “Cinnamon rolls are from Cimarosa, Mid-Rim,” he answered, then looked to Kylo, who had finished his cinnamon roll, “So, if we’re Sith, why are we Knights and not Darths?” 

Kylo said, “It’d take too long to explain.” 

“Yeah? Or maybe you don’t know?” He saw how Kylo puffed a bit at that, “I was just thinking—if we’re going to be Sith, we ought to get that book that Sidious put together, right?” 

Kylo seemed to calm. He canted his head in that odd way of his, the only moment he seemed to actually look like a decent human being, in Gnaeus’s opinion. With that stupid head cant. Even when he wore the helmet, he seemed human with that gesture. “Luke Skywalker has that book.” 

“Maybe. He gave up a lot on his escape, right? The book could be anywhere now.” 

~***~ 

“Take the cat with you. Its owner is gone. It’s in a desert. Its food will run out, and the water,” Mira was perhaps too honest, but the cat was going to die out here, once its supply ran out. It was lucky, and now she understood how it got water. Freak rainstorms. She wasn’t sure it would survive long, though. “We should at least get her off the planet, if you won’t take her in.” 

Find her a more hospitable environment. 

Mira smiled a bit when Hux asked his question, though. “Besides a way to a ship or communication…I can’t say.” Not truly, it was that nagging feeling she knew better than to ignore. She had taken the left turn and continued straight that way. The green was calm, constant, in the beads now. “Sort of like Finn’s feeling.” 

There was just something to follow, to find, and she would. 

It wasn’t as far as she would have thought, either. 

The home they’d been in was on the outskirts of a village. A ruined village, but a village all the same that was, no doubt, closer yet to a town. “Kylo Ren was here,” murmured words. There was still a taint to the environment that spoke of how the Force had been used here. Many, significant events happened here, if this was the location. “Was this where the First Order arrived to find the map to Luke?” She asked, walking towards the ruined buildings. There was no judgment in the tone—who was she to judge at that point? 

~***~ 

“You assume this alliance will last after Snoke is destroyed?” August inquired, raising both eyebrows in question. 

No, it might not matter now who was chosen, but they had to make a choice all the same. “I would prefer the decision to be reached here. Returning to Eriadu may mean being unable to leave it, if an alliance is not brokered.” 

It was not the best of situations. Not a situation where August could be too arrogant, even if he had many cards to play. No, he had to make it appear like it would be a good trade for Hux in the long run, which it would be. Tarkin had sway with the Imperialists who held out against the First Order. Tarkin’s world had a strong military on its own, and plenty of technological advances. The Tarkins, after all, never lost their hunger. Their ambitions. 

“I am curious as to why you assume the alliance is going to last, however.” When Tarkin decided, he would support them to the end, unless betrayed himself. Which meant, if he chose one, he would inevitably be picking against the other when Snoke was gone—or that was how he saw the situation. 

~***~ 

Leia Organa gave a nod, “So we do.” 

“That’s Tarkin, isn’t it? August Tarkin, governor of Eriadu?” Britney asked, finally figuring it all out. “Didn’t like, his entire family support the Empire?” 

“They did. They assisted in the construction of the Death Star.” Still a rather bitter memory. “His uncle gave the order to destroy Alderaan.” It was not forgotten at all. She’d given up a long abandoned base to the Resistance, and still he destroyed Alderaan. Leia should have known better than to trust him. 

“You should let his stupid planet get taken over, then.” 

Leia shook her head, “No…that would benefit Snoke too much to allow it.”

KyloGlenn · Jun 25, 2016

Gnaeus really was her favorite, Paquin was pleased with the dropped subject. Onto cinnamon rolls, from Cimarosa. Which she approved of. Cimarosa wasn't bad when it came to food, but she decided to look at the packaging as well. 

A swell of happiness came when the cinnamon rolls seemed to meet her standards. She didn't concern herself with the others' conversation, she had no useful input anyway. Instead, she stuffed her face with a cinnamon roll. She loved fruit, but eating that for a majority of a decade wasn't the best. 

The gentle breeze created by the Force, reacting to the excitement, caused the packaging to sway a bit. It went unnoticed by both Ariel and Paquin, the gesture not being a large on. 

"I heard something about it on Tatooine. I think it was spotted somewhere." Ariel lied to get Kylo interested. It wasn't really a lie, she had heard about some ancient books or whatever, though they probably weren't the Sith book. "If we find it, I want to be called Darth Ariel." 

- 

Hux would consider taking the cat when they left Jakku. It might be a hassle and who knew if she'd follow. Hux didn't want to carry her the entire time they walked where ever and he was sure she wouldn't like it much either. But while he couldn't imagine he could take care of her himself, he might just get her a new home with someone else. 

Mira told him that it had been a feeling that was leading them somewhere and Hux nearly groaned. 'This could be good or bad.' He was leaning more towards bad, even if Finn's feeling had ended up getting him out of a sticky situation. Especially when it led them to a location that Mira had said Kylo Ren had been to. 

Hux took a look around then, to look at the ruined village. "We went quite a few places looking for Skywalker." But only one on Jakku. 

Hux realized something then, "I'm responsible for the cat's owner, aren't I?" Well, Kylo Ren was. He issued the order to kill the entire damn village. It seemed unnecessary to Hux. Destroying the Hosnian system, that was necessary at the time. But the village? Not so much. 

Now he had to take the damn cat. 

- 

"They came here to discuss something," Johann shrugged. "Maybe it was just for a temporary alliance against Snoke, but that would completely erase the reason they're at war in the first place." Who was in power would remain. And after the First Order destroyed an entire system, Johann didn't think General Hux would just brush that aside for Snoke. Would Leia set aside the fact that Hux destroyed an entire system containing her associates, friends? Just for an alliance against Snoke? Maybe. 

Maybe they would, Johann couldn't be sure. 

"I'm not saying that an alliance will definitely remain, but it's a possibility." Just something for his father to take into consideration. But one thing that Johann was sure of was that he'd think as though the Resistance and the Order were still separate. Which wasn't a bad thing. 

"General Hux hasn't been spotted since the fight ended," Johann thought to comment. "You may need to speak with the elder Hux." That may start a fight, in which Johann would have to get the rest of his debate team for. They all wanted to see August in action. 

- 

The Death Star was spoken of and it made Phasma think of Starkiller. If only they had the death planet that Hux loved. They could have destroyed Snoke by now. Mira could have shared all his usual bases and he'd be gone. No way he could stop a sun from being flung at him. 

Then again, if they had Starkiller, Snoke wouldn't have become an issue. 

"The Tarkins would be good allies to have," Phasma commented. For Snoke, it might not mean much. She doubted Tarkin would bend easily, even if Snoke infiltrated the planet. Phasma certainly did admire that trait that all Tarkins had. 

"They seem like dicks," Britney scowled at the two women. 

"I'm not saying they aren't." 

"I hope it's worth it."

Lucyfer · Jun 25, 2016

Gnaeus didn’t notice it, either, when the Force reacted to Paquin, but Kylo did. How could he not? He knew the Force when it was used unconsciously, he’d dealt with it in himself and seen it in Mira all too often. He frowned at the display, though. Happiness? Why? 

Ariel’s comment snapped him out of it, “No,” he denied the ‘darth’ title. “None of us are worthy of being Darth anything.” Besides, that’d require new names, too. Darth was another sort of rebirthing. 

“Aw, c’mon. I could be Darth Bane.” 

“There was already a Darth Bane.” 

“You could be Darth Vader.” 

Kylo just scowled at Gnaeus. 

“Anyway, we need to train Paq here, right? We’re all here to train…we don’t exactly have much to go off of, except whatever Snoke’s taught you, but you’re supposed to train, too,” it was all experiments, that sometimes went well, and sometimes ended in mass destruction. “So I was thinking, we can’t leave the planet yet, but we could incorporate training into a trial of sorts. Korriban was home of the Sith. They’ve got to have left some useful things here that we haven’t already found. We’ve hardly explored the tombs.” 

Kylo crossed his arms over his chest, trying to distract himself with what Gnaeus was saying, but his eyes kept drifting back to Paquin. He barely noticed how Gnaeus had stopped talking, until he snapped. 

“Yo, earth to Kylo, Paq’s into Anakin, not you, stop staring.” 

Kylo immediately looked to Gnaeus, cheeks tinting a bit, “Do you not notice that she’s using the Force right now?” 

“So?” Gnaeus seemed to forget that was actually a significant thing for Paquin. 

~***~ 

“The cat’s owner. Grandfathers. Sisters. Dog owners.” Mira could list off all sorts of people that Hux was responsible for murdering here, even if he hadn’t lifted a hand to do it. He was responsible, the way Mira was responsible for so much loss of life. Yet, she spoke of it as if it were nothing. The lives, the roles, inconsequential. 

How else could she speak of it? If she thought of it too long, she'd lose her calm. She'd snap under her own guilt and lose control of the Force. 

There was a flux of guilt felt, but Mira would not comment on it. “Luke entrusted someone here with information. A map,” she remembered hearing about it all after returning from Wild Space. Her steps seemed automatic now, pressing on and turning towards a hut. Kylo hadn’t searched the village. 

He’d just destroyed it, caring for nothing but the map. The remaining buildings stood as testaments to the First Order’s elimination capabilities. An entire village—gone. Ghosted. "But why just a map? Why even leave clues? There might have been more to it than that...," not that Kylo would have cared. "Or there may be nothing." 

Mira walked into a hut, feet still seeming to move as if they had a plan. To a chair, to a circular table, and there Mira stopped and knelt. 

It was in plain sight, under the tabletop, on a circular wooden panel. The Jedi Guide. 

“It wasn’t just the map.” Mira picked up the book almost reverently. It was old, and it felt old, almost like it would crumble to dust, but it didn’t. 

She rose quickly, pressing the book against her chest as she glanced around, looking for anything else that might be useful. 

Yet, the green that had shot through the beads vanished completely, the feeling gone. "You don't have much time...." It was spoken, but it would be unheard by the ex-Knight. 

The sudden loss of that pull did tell Mira as much, and allowed her to feel that she and Finn were not, in fact, the only Force sensitives on the planet. Or close. 

~***~ 

Johann made a point. 

General Hux and General Organa were not known for giving up easily. They wouldn’t surrender their ideals because it was ‘easier’, or for something ‘temporary’. “Hm.” August accepted the possibility. 

But Hux wasn’t here. When August groaned at the thought of having to deal with the Commandant, his wife laughed a bit. “You can't hate him that much, can you?” 

“Yes,” he complained. 

Julia only remembered because of the red hair, and how stoic the pair of hot-heads tried to be. “Well, perhaps you can talk with Phasma instead, but you know you have to play nice with him. He’s Commandant,” she joked, “You’re just Governor of one planet.” 

“Ha.” Hardly. In name, yes. “It sounds like we are in agreement, though. For the time being.” 

“Yes,” Julia said, “We’ll see if the First Order can assist. And then we’ll assist them, and bring stability back to the Outer Rim as Wilhuff did.” 

Ah, Wilhuff. He did miss his uncle. Shame the fool had died without leaving a legacy, too caught up in his work. Heartless, he’d been called. Heartless wasn’t true…people just didn’t know where his heart was. “And don’t bring up the Carrion Spike.” 

Tarkin rolled his eyes, “I will do as I like in regards to my ship.” Wilhuff’s. Then it went missing. Then it somehow ended up with the First Order. 

He rose, “I suppose I’ve put them off long enough. I should at least tell the Commandant I want to speak with his son when he arrives,” and play nice, make it seem like the Commandant actually had some power. “Johann, will you arrange a place for us to stay until General Hux shows up?” 

~***~ 

“Barely,” Leia said, still listening as the Tarkins discussed options, “but they do have power in the Outer Rim.” They had brought law and order there, for a while. They had been ruthless in it, merciless and cold, but it had worked for a time. “We need to keep the Outer Rim out of Snoke’s hands, so that the war does not truly breach the rest of the universe.” 

Leia barely realized how her words could be construed to suggest she only cared about planets closer to the Core. She rarely realized it, for as Julia suggested, she was a woman of the Core. So many of her concerns were there concerns. She knew them far more intimately than she did the Outer Rim. 

She did care for the Outer Rim, of course. And she wanted to stop Snoke completely. 

None of the universe deserved his wrath. 

The conversation was wrapping up. “Would you prefer to intercept Tarkin, or should we let him go hash it out with the Commandant?” Leia wasn’t too concerned either way. Tarkin had made his opinions clear of where he would fall, if the alliance didn’t hold. Which, Leia couldn’t say whether or not it would, then. Hux was gone…their conversation had not truly concluded. It had been interrupted. 

And there was the Jedi to consider…she hadn’t wanted to admit it then, and barely wanted to admit it now, but if Luke did try to re-establish the Jedi Order as it had been, it would be difficult to work with. The Senate was also likely going to accept the return of the Jedi Order as it had been, too. Or more powerful, considering all the issues with Siths…

KyloGlenn · Jun 26, 2016

‘Darth Asshole seems to fit Kylo a bit better.’ Ariel thought that was so witty, she nearly said it. But the topic changed and either way, she was sure he’d Force choke her that time. Though, Kylo wasn’t probably wouldn’t have even noticed, as he seemed wrapped up in Paquin. 

Paquin hadn’t been paying much attention until her name and Anakin’s were used in the same sentence. Her own face tinted for a multitude of reasons. One being that her comment on Anakin would never be forgotten, two because Kylo had been apparently staring at her, and three because she wasn’t exactly being neat with her cinnamon roll. 

And then it was pointed out that she was using the Force. “I am?” She hadn’t even noticed it. Though, as she went to put the packaging down, she did notice it. That excited Paquin further, earning a stronger reaction, the box nearly flipping over. “That’s good right?” She asked as she washed her hands, looking back at Kylo. 

“Yes and no.” Ariel answered instead “It’s good that you’re using it, but you don’t have control over it.” Ariel had been the same way for a while, usually when she was drunk. Though, she hadn’t experienced it while happy. Maybe she needed to be truly happy for it to work…”That’s where training comes in.” Ariel attempted to revert it back to Gnaeus’ idea. 

- 

On the bright side, it was a small village. Not terribly many people had been killed. Hux realized how insensitive that was, but he wasn’t sure if he was capable of actually feeling bad for all the people that died. He felt it was unnecessary and he felt bad for the cat, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. 

Except for take the cat in. 

Other than that, no use dwelling. 

He followed Mira into the hut, listening as she rattled off wonders. Hux wasn’t sure if there would be any more, but then he took into account that Mira had a feeling. Though, that feeling could be nothing as well. But as he watched Mira move through the hut, she seemed to know exactly where she was going. 

And there her feeling proved right and she found a book of all things. 

“What is that?” It was an old book, obviously. Hux was pretty sure it had something to do with the Force, at least. It seemed to call to her, after all. 

When Hux looked back up from the book, an eyebrow rose. “Weren’t those green, before?” Hux reached forward and touched the crystals in her hair. Now the color had disappeared. Maybe he was seeing things, he decided as he released the bead. It was dark and there was lightening, his eyes could have been playing tricks on him. But his mind nagged him, reminding him of the mysterious Force. ‘Whatever.’ 

Further from them, on the outskirts of the village opposite of the shelter they’d taken, a ship landed. The beings inside recognizing that they weren’t the only Force-sensitives on the planet then. 

- 

Johann knew that his father had plenty of reasons to dislike the Commandant. From what he’d seen that day, Commandant Hux was a prick. He hoped the General didn’t take after his father. That would make things difficult. 

No, the younger Hux had already displayed qualities unlike his father's. Thank the stars. 

Before Johann could answer his father, the voice of a droid came from his mother’s side of the call. The programmed feminine voice of the droid informed Julia of incoming communications. Snoke was reaching out already. ‘Wonderful.’ His mother could hold down the fort for a while, though. 

“I can manage getting a place to stay.” Johann confirmed then. “Goodbye, mother.” He’d likely be talking to her at some later point. But for then, he’d leave to get them a temporary room. An FOTC member would likely assist with that. “Good luck with Commandant Hux.” 

Johann wondered if his father would complain about the experience in his diary. One day Johann would read it. Probably when August was dead. 

- 

Phasma was surprised by the lack of concern for the Outer Rim. Or at least, that’s what it sounded like coming from Leia. That seemed to make the idea of a triumvirate a little more appealing to the Captain. That’s what Hux would be there for, to care for the Outer Rim, most likely. He had been born and mostly raised there, after all. 

But he wasn’t there then, was he? Neither to defend the Outer Rim or to conclude the conversation that was being had. 

She hoped there’d be some sign of him soon. 

Phasma took into consideration her options. Let Hux and Tarkin hash it out or stop Brendol from making a fool of himself. “No need to intercept. The Commandant can’t do much damage.” Not to Tarkin, anyway. And if he got beat up, well…no one would care. 

“Thank you, Britney, for your assistance.” Phasma thanked the fangirl, despite that it’d likely been done in favor of Leia. It helped her anyway.

Lucyfer · Jun 26, 2016

“You shouldn’t even be using it.” Kylo stated, bluntly confused. 

Gnaeus was about to question that, but then realized it—and smirked as he leaned against the counter, “Because she’s happy, Ky?” 

Kylo didn’t even comment on the atrocious nickname, as Gnaeus knew he wouldn’t. Kylo’s theory was being broken before all of their eyes, that theory that the only emotions that gave them power were negative ones. Of course, none of them had ever had experiences otherwise. Broken people didn’t experience happiness strong enough to muck with the Force around them. 

But Paquin wasn’t broken. 

And she was going to be the healer. 

“Because happiness shouldn’t impact the Force?” 

“YES!” He didn’t hide his surprise, or his irritation. 

“Hey, hey,” Gnaeus snapped Kylo’s attention back to him, “That’s good, isn’t it? Something new—now she’s just gotta get that under control, which we’ll all work on.” 

“But Snoke….” 

“Snoke doesn’t know everything.” Blasphemy, of course, “He can’t teach you the things Plagueis knew, or others, that’s why we need the Sith book and experiments.” 

Kylo let out a breath. 

“We’ll have something good to report to him. For once.” 

~***~ ‘Luke.’ 

Mira would not have forgotten the feel of Luke anywhere, though she was briefly distracted by Hux’s question and his reach. She managed not to step back or flinch at the gesture, though she did freeze. 

Then, relaxed. “Green?” She couldn’t see the crystals well from her vantage point. There had been a faint glow, but the color wasn’t visible. She took it for nothing. “They shouldn’t be, I wasn’t…never mind that now.” Mira recalled the feeling. If something had been calling her, perhaps they had turned green, attuned to the call. 

It was a matter to deal with later. She would try not to forget. She shrugged the coat off and wrapped the book in it, and offered it to Hux. “Luke’s here. If you can keep the book and my holocron safe until we get back to Cimarosa, I'll consider it a favor I owe you. This is the Jedi Guide.” Perhaps because she was putting Hux at risk by asking him to keep something from Luke. 

Which meant the only way she was keeping the book, was if Luke didn’t know she had it. 

The only way that was happening, was if Hux took it, and no one was really going to question why Hux had his own coat back, especially with the rain going on. “Let’s get back to the others, now.” Because she could hide behind Finn, while Leia wasn’t here. Poe might even defend her for Leia’s sake. 

Luke Skywalker felt it, but he wasn’t alone in feeling it. His padawan, Rey, leaned forward, hands on her legs. “There’s someone else here.” 

“Yes.” Luke felt the influence shrinking almost immediately, but he still knew. And that meant, she knew, and was trying to hide. “Stay close to me, Rey.” He told her as he rose from his seat and walked towards the door. He would have to stay in the lead this time, and no splitting up. Not with a Knight of Ren on the planet, likely here for the same thing they were. 

He had understood that Kylo Ren did not search the area well. The secrets he’d left with Lor San Tekka had gone undiscovered, and he would see it remained that way. He’d have to move quick; he could sense that the Knight was already at the village. “Is something wrong?” Rey asked, following quickly, pulling her light-stave with her. She’d opted for a style more suited to the fighting style she’d learned on Jakku, but rather than go with a blade on either end of her stave, she only had it on one side. 

She could injure and kill—but Luke would always hope she took the route of injuring over killing with that stave. “Maybe.” Luke answered. He couldn’t be positive. 

~***~ 

August clenched both fists as he heard the voice of the droid, something about an ‘Ambassador Solo’ being there to talk. “Good bye, Johann, and good luck,” she smiled kindly to her son, before addressing her husband, “I have it handled, August,” she told him, seeing the clear lines of stress. “I know all the codes. Go and see if you can break this embargo, hm?” 

August gave a nod, and then Julia turned off the transmission. No doubt, he wouldn’t be able to reach out to her again. “Thank you,” he said to Johann as he was wished luck. 

This wouldn’t be fun. He rose, grabbed his wrist communication once more and slapped it around his wrist. “I will see you soon,” and yes, this would no doubt end up in his diary as one of his least favorite moments in his life. 

He left the room, and went to find where Commandant Hux was. Fortunately, the FOTC boys were keeping track of everyone tied to the First Order and Galactic Empire, and he was pointed in the right directions. 

~***~ 

The conversation concluded before them, with Julia being interrupted back on Eriadu. “I hope we do not lose them,” Snoke with Eriadu would not be good. Eriadu was known as the Coruscant of the Outer Rim. 

It was powerful. 

It was a symbol, too, that Snoke would know how to wield. 

“Thank you, Britney,” Leia echoed Phasma’s sentiments. “I should see to it that everything else here is set up, and arrange for rooms as well…it looks like we will be here the night, at least.” Still no word of Poe, Hux, Finn, or Mira. Leia would at least give them a day. She had pilots and fighters skimming Jakku. 

With a day, they’d figure out what had happened. 

Or else Leia would just flood the planet with fighters. Likely, Phasma would do the same. Jakku would be scoured, top to bottom, to find out what had happened there with Poe and the others.

KyloGlenn · Jun 27, 2016

The excitement quickly dissipated, the Force stilling. “I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for, except for Kylo being unhappy with her use of the Force. Apologizing for being happy, apparently. 

Ariel rolled her as eyes she finished her third and final cinnamon roll. “Don’t apologize for being happy. That’s a slippery slope to becoming unhappy.” The plate was discarded in the sink by Paquin. “You proved Kylo wrong to his face. That’s an achievement.” Snoke as well, which was also an achievement of sorts. He did seem to know everything. But not this, apparently. 

Maybe it wasn’t an achievement to celebrate. 

And Paquin knew that especially when talk of telling Snoke about it occurred. Paquin was worried he’d take it about as well as Kylo did. What if he decided that’s not how he wanted to run things? “It’ll be an interesting thing to get under control,” Ariel commented. Angering someone was easy, but making them happy? 

And Paquin thought on it, “Didn’t I say something along those lines when we first discovered my sensitivity?” She was pretty sure Kylo had thought her to be dumb because of it. ‘Who’s the dumb one now?’ She imagined all the compliments she could’ve received by now. 

- 

Hux took her coat from her—well his, but hers—tucking it under his arm as she explained that Luke was here, the book was the Jedi Guide, and asked him to try and keep the book safe until they return to Cimarosa. 

Many thoughts were running through his head. One was that Luke was here. All that time and resources spent searching for Skywalker and now he showed up, once again inconveniencing Hux it seemed. 

Another one was that he would have done it for her, knowing whatever risk may occur, favor or not. And that feeling really disturbed Hux. It was nearly a foreign concept to him. 

Glowing green beads forgotten, risks dismissed, Hux took the lead out of the hut and back to their shelter. He’d been paying attention to certain points during the wander to the hut, certain shapes in the dark, and knew the general direction back, leading Mira and himself there rather quickly. 

Hux was glad to see the shelter hadn’t caught on fire and by the form of BB-8 sitting in the doorway with Finn, they hadn’t run off either. 

BB-8 came out to meet them, telling them that Finn had fallen asleep on the job, but not to worry because BB-8 had been keeping watch. 

As they moved closer to their shelter, Rey and Luke moved closer to the home of Lor San Tekka. 

Rey didn’t question Luke’s maybe, instead she remained alert and on guard. From living on the planet they were on now, she’d learned it was better to be safe than sorry. She’d be more prone to acting faster than Luke when it came to defending them. 

Luke knew exactly where he was going when they landed. Though he moved quickly, he still took in all the chaos and destruction caused by Kylo Ren and the First Order. Not only had Luke lost a friend, but an entire village had been lost. Brothers, mothers, sons. And Luke couldn’t help but feel responsibility. 

Upon entering the hut that once belonged to Tekka, Rey staying by the entrance as a guard, Luke already sensed something was off. But just to be sure, he looked where he’d seen Tekka put it when it’d been given to him. Nothing. Luke didn’t look too much harder, after that. He knew. “It’s not here.” The Knight had it. The ex-Knight, but Luke didn’t know that yet. 

- 

Commandant Hux was doing nothing that mattered, to put it simply. Pestering officers, wondering where in the hell his son disappeared to. The short lived fit with Tarkin had left a bad taste in his mouth, but it didn’t stop him from being a nuisance to those around him. 

And so, the FOTC members knew exactly where to point August. 

Brendol was in the midst of criticizing a petty officer when the fellow graying redhead entered his sights, coming towards him. The officer was relieved of Brendol’s harsh words as he left for Tarkin. “August,” he’d not offer any respect by calling him Governor, or even by his last name. “You were good on your word.” About having a talk with the Commandant at a later date. 

Brendol was surprised, as he was sure Tarkin had said it to simply dismiss him. “I hope your son’s doing well.” No he didn’t. He wasn’t all that concerned with his own son, let alone someone else’s. 

- 

Phasma was concerned with Eriadu, as well. A majority of the Outer Rim were supporters of the Order. And if Snoke took hold of it, they’d very well lose that support. Snoke couldn’t have that power. 

If she had to, if Snoke made a violent approach toward the planet before Hux returned, Phasma would very well step up the plate. At least send a distraction to draw attention away from Eriadu. To buy time until an alliance could be formed between the people it needed to, if Hux decided it was worth it. 

With Tarkin heading to hash it out with Brendol, that gave Phasma a chance to operate without the annoyance that was Hux’s father. “If you need my assistance with anything, General, I’m sure it’ll be easy to find me. I’ll keep you up to date with any news on General Hux and your people,” she promised. 

Phasma would give Hux and the others a day as well. After that, she’d search every planet if she had to, starting with Jakku.

Lucyfer · Jun 27, 2016

Kylo Ren glared at Ariel, angry at the way she put it, more than he was angry that he’d been proven wrong. This was an achievement. They had learned something new about the Force…but he’d been so certain it wasn’t possible! He’d never had the Force flowing through him when he was happy. ‘When were you ever happy?’ 

He dismissed the question. Mira never had, either. ‘And when was she?’ Again, dismissed. 

“Yes. You did.” Kylo spoke through gritted teeth. 

“Kylo. Chill.” Gnaeus said, speaking in that warning tone he might use with a dog that was considering biting. 

Kylo took a breath. He again pushed his fingers through his hair in agitation—hair that had just been in buns, which his mind decided to remind him. “But how could Snoke not know?” Kylo asked. 

“Snoke doesn’t seem like a happy person.” Gnaeus suggested. “Probably thought it wasn’t possible since he’s never been happy enough. I mean, you have to be pretty angry to lose control, too.” 

“It was cinnamon rolls….” 

“Some people are easily amused,” Gnaeus shrugged, “Anyway, I get you—it still won’t be all that useful in combat, unless—Paq, you a sadist?” The blunt question had Kylo blinking, and he almost asked how that could be relevant before he recalled the meaning of the word. 

Then he just struck his forehead. ‘I doubt it.’ She was a medic, after all. She was not going to take pleasure in harming people. 

~***~ 

It was one of the few times, Mira didn’t doubt someone. Though no words were exchanged, Hux took the book and took the risks with it. Mira fought her own panic as she followed behind, not walking with Hux lest the panic explode out of her. She was doing all that she could to hide it. ‘We’ll need him. We’ll need him to get off the planet.’ 

Mira sensed it, felt it, but that didn’t mean she had to draw him there before she was united with Poe and Finn—the only ones who would keep her and Hux from harm when it came to Luke. They would tell Luke of the shift in things. 

Want to or not. 

At the hut, they came upon BB-8 and Finn, and Mira shook her head a bit. “Poor boy,” and she walked to Finn, lightly touching him, “Finn, wake up, Finn.” 

“Muh? Huh, I wasn’t sleeping!” He was quick to say, when he registered what was going on. 

Mira smirked in his face, but just said, “C’mon,” and offered him a hand up, “I’m back now, you can go to sleep, I know how we’re getting off the planet.” 

“Yeah? Then we should just…you’re soaking.” He noticed it as he unconsciously leaned against Mira for stability in walking into the hut. 

Yes, yes she was, now that the coat was off. The Jedi Tunic was hardly protective. Hux was also drenched. “Yes. Let’s wait until it stops.” Mira said as they stepped back into the hut, “Go on, back to bed,” the overhanging shelter had protected Finn from getting too wet. 

He didn’t argue. He slurred his words a bit, but climbed back into the bed, and was soon off again, with Poe accepting the return of him all too naturally. 

The orange cat who had been sleeping with Poe in the absence of Hux, jumped off the bed and walked right on up to the ginger, looking up at him expectantly. 

Mira smiled at them, then shook her head. 

She spoke softly, so as not to disturb them. “Luke’s our way off the planet,” she told Hux. He may have deduced it himself. With that, she tried to drop the guards, little by little. The pressure of the Force exuded from around her, pushing sand and cat hair on the ground away from her. It was kept mostly in check, Mira aware of what she was doing. 

She took the lightsaber, and tossed it to Hux, “Don’t let me do anything stupid.” 

Rey peered inside once Luke spoke, “Do you know where it is?” 

Luke didn’t know where, but he knew who. “Yes.” They were still on the planet. He could sense that much, and he stepped out of the hut and lifted his hood back over his head. “It is a trek,” he said. They were following behind someone already aware of them. He was not sure if they would be going to a ship. Likely so. 

He had to tell Rey, didn’t he? He needed her prepared. “One of the Knights of Ren is here, Rey. They must have arrived a little before us and taken the book.” 

“Kylo?” 

“No,” Luke shook his head, “but still dangerous.” He started to walk forward. He could not sense exactly, that was not possible, but the direction was becoming clearer. 

Panic. Fear. Yes, Ceres was clearly aware of him, and sensing those emotions pulled at his heart in more ways than one. Guilt, responsibility, and anger—how could there not be anger? He would be endangering Rey by bringing her along, but it was necessary. “This way.” He did not know Jakku, but he knew the guidance of the Force. 

~***~ 

August did not bristle outwardly at the disrespect, though he let both of his eyebrows raise at the familiarity Hux thought they had. “Johann is well,” he answered, “though your own son seems MIA,” he commented idly, “it is fortunate I did not wish to see him first—I wanted to speak with you.” 

If only as a part of the larger game. “Shall we walk?” He’d prefer to be moving for this discussion, to get a lay of the land and to make sure none were listening to them. It’d also make for quite the image for Commandant Hux and Governor Tarkin to be spotted anywhere, walking. 

Snoke would get wind of it soon enough. He’d understand what it meant—mostly, that August was not on Eriadu, something his wife was likely going to keep hidden a little bit longer. That would work how he wanted it to. 

Snoke would try to take hostages first, to force Tarkin to return and discuss. 

~***~ 

“Of course, Phasma. I’ll inform you of any changes, as well,” Leia was glad that she had Phasma’s cooperation in the matter of their missing men and woman. 

She’d look for them, of course, but she’d also see if she could get a feed from the Holonet on information regarding Eriadu. She’d have to keep tabs on it. “If there are no updates, we’ll reconvene tomorrow before noon.” 

And then they’d strategize on how to find the missing people—or at least figure out what happened to them.

KyloGlenn · Jun 28, 2016

Paquin did feel a little silly for getting so excited over cinnamon rolls, slumping against the counter. 'Next time you get really happy over something, I'll invalidate it.' No, she wouldn't. She wasn't mean enough. Especially not to Kylo. 

Plus, when would Kylo ever actually be happy? 

Then Gnaeus asked if Paquin was a sadist and her eyebrows furrowed. "Excuse me?" At first, she thought he meant in a sexual sense, but then recalled the context that came with the question. Did she seem like a sadist? Did Gnaeus know what she had done for a living? Then again, she did have the perfect job for it. But, "Is that a serious question?" 

"I think so," Ariel leaned over to mumble in the brunette's ear. 

She was far from a sadist. "No, I'm not." 

"You don't need to be. We'll have to work on using the Force in combat, I already feel you're going to have to rely on it." Ariel eyed Paquin. She wasn't very strong and she was small. If she encountered anyone the size of Kylo without having some assistance from the Force, she'd be toast. 

- 

Hux was soaking wet, sunburnt, and very uncomfortable in that given moment, but even so, he still bent down to pet the expecting cat, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He was going to take him with her, he had no choice. And the thought of keeping her even crossed his mind. 

But when would he have the time to take care of her? And if he did keep her, where would he? Was a starship base an acceptable place to house a cat? Even then he'd be moving from base to base, most likely. 

Thoughts for another time. 

Hux stood up straight, turning to Mira as she spoke of leaving with Luke. As much as Hux didn't want to, that was the only way. Unless they wanted to walk who knows how long to the next town, hope to get in contact with Cimarosa, and wait until they're rescued. They had a chance now. 

Hux reacted to Mira tossing him her lightsaber by his arm quickly shooting out to catch it, his sunburn disagreeing with that movement. From now on, putting on sunscreen would be a daily routine. No matter what he was doing. "Are you sure about this?" Not giving him the lightsaber, but about Luke. Would she be okay? Did she trust him enough not to kill them? 

As the Force guided Luke to Ceres, he realized something. Her signature was getting stronger, not weaker. She stopped. And she wasn't trying to hide anymore. 

Panic and fear were emotions he'd felt from her. Not among those emotions was hostility. Even so, he warned his padawan. "She's stopped. Be careful, she could be planning an attack." Not yet did he sense hostility. Yet. While Rey's lightstave had been in her hand since they landed, he was just then letting his hand wander to his own lightsaber. 

Rey was already well and alert, even before Luke's warning."She? You know who it is, then?" 

"Yes." It was strong now, as they neared the opposite outskirts that they'd landed on. 

- 

Commandant Hux was already suspicious of Tarkin as he suggested that they walk. At this point, Brendol wasn't sure if August wished to argue about which of them was the real traitor. "We shall," the elder Hux agreed, nodding his head in a direction to begin walking. 

Brendol waited until Tarkin walked first, beginning to fall into step with him. The two gingers were similar in height, though Tarkin edged Brendol out by a small bit, the Commandant keeping well in pace with the Governor. 

"And what is it you wish to discuss with me, and not with my son?" Not that Tarkin would be able to talk with General Hux. But if it was anything political, he would likely have tried to go to his son instead. Though, he did seem to already know General Hux was MIA. 

And technically, Commandant Hux was the next highest rank on the planet at the moment. So, maybe he had tried to bring it to his son. 

- 

"I hope we receive some news before then," Phasma was honest with the Resistance's General. She didn't want to have to come up with a new plan to find them. Or find out what happened to them. 

Wasn't it on most planets that when someone went missing, they'd be given forty-eight hours before assumed dead? Everywhere but the Core worlds, who probably gave up after twelve. 

"If it concerns you, I'll keep you up to date with Governor Tarkin, as well." If it concerned her, which Phasma didn't feel it would. Not until if they got Hux back. 'Not if, when.' 

And now, for work. The campus was still a hot mess.

Lucyfer · Jun 28, 2016

“She can use it in combat,” Kylo noted. He had seen it, “Needs work, but she did better than anticipated with little instruction,” it was praise, of a sort. She had exceeded his expectations. 

“She needs a weapon,” Gnaeus pointed out. Before Kylo could open his lips to speak, Gnaeus said, “I’m going to teach her how to make one. Today. You and Ariel can construct her work-out routine.” 

Kylo canted his head. 

“Look at her, Kylo. You could push her over without the Force. She needs to get stronger or Mira’s gonna wreck her.” 

“We won’t let Mira near her.” 

“Yeah? And we won’t let Phasma, either, or the legions of Stormtroopers, or anyone else? She has to fight, Kylo. She has to be strong in all ways. So you and Ari get to figuring out the training regimine for both body and mind, and I’ll help her with a lightsaber.” 

“And then?” 

“I mean…I can probably teach her meditation and calming tricks better than either of you can. She’ll need to learn to stay grounded, too.” Kylo might argue that, but Gnaeus did consider it necessary. If Paquin just lost herself to her emotions she’d be little more than a feral beast. “So, Paq, what do you say? Wanna come make a lightsaber?” 

Gnaeus was sure he could deconstruct his own to show her how it was done, since there weren’t really any spares. Well, unless they were in Mira’s room. They should probably look—there might be some pieces that would be useful for Paquin’s lightsaber design anyway. More than would be in the training room, which was going to be a bitch to look through anyway. 

~***~ 

Mira understood Hux’s question wasn’t in reference to the lightsaber, as BB-8 took a shot at trying to get close to her, only to be unable to. Mira let out a breath. “No.” 

Luke may kill her. He’d nearly gone darkside once, and what she’d done to him was unforgivable. “But it is the best shot we have.” Mira couldn’t sleep and she was injured, dehydrating. She needed to get off for her own sake. 

Hux was sunburnt, and now drenched. He might get ill himself. “I do not plan to die here,” she wasn’t going to let Luke kill her, if he did try. She was also not going to appear as a threat, if she could manage it. She wrapped her arms tighter around herself and took another deep breath. “I’ll figure something out if it comes to it….” It shouldn’t. Not with Finn and Poe here. Not with BB-8. 

Mira fell silent then, and kept her gaze down until the Force shifted almost violently. She lifted her gaze to the door. ‘Well. Come on, Luke.’ Hands tightened their grips on the opposite arm. Nails dug through clothe. Luke wasn’t alone. It didn’t take a genius to guess who was with him. 

Luke knew well that Ceres was waiting for him. “Who is she?” Rey asked, keeping up easily with his pace, her curiosity unending. 

“She was my padawan,” Luke answered her. 

“I thought Kylo Ren…,” but Rey trailed off. Luke never said it was only Kylo Ren who betrayed him. 

“He was the ring leader.” 

“Were all the Knights your padawans?” 

“No. Just Kylo and her.” Luke answered, “They were both volatile with the Force. Emotional.” He told Rey as they continued forward, a hut soon coming into sight. He stared at it for a long while, feeling that same shift in the Force, as if the world had stopped. 

Rey sensed it, as well. “She’s not alone.” Though Rey didn’t realize then that the other energy she was feeling was Finn. 

Luke shook his head. She wasn’t alone, there were a multiplicity of others, though no Knights…and still no hostility. Anger, yes, but not the same sort of wrath he’d felt from Sidious or anyone who had wanted to harm him. Anger was par for the course with Ceres when she was losing control of her emotions, though, and usually directed inwards. 

“Stay behind me,” Luke advised. 

There was no avoiding this. 

It wasn’t subtle, either. If it was meant to be a trap, Luke intended to stop it dead in its tracks by throwing the door open with the Force, scattering sand—though it immediately flew back at him. It scattered around and over him, though Rey sputtered a bit in his shadow. His hand was finally on his lightsaber, and it was removed from his belt, but it wasn't lit. 

Then, “FINN?!” 

BB-8 chirped quickly as Rey stepped in, more startled than afraid as the droid came rolling up to the pair, trying to quickly to explain everything to Luke. Rey was confused. If Finn was able to sleep so peacefully with Poe, how could there be any danger? Her eyes took in the situation, the woman leaning against the wall with the bloodstained clothing, the ginger man she swore she recognized from somewhere with a cat, BB-8 beeping frantically, and Poe and Finn...cuddling. 

The sand settled. 

Finn woke up at the shout of his name. “Buh, wha…Rey!” He tried to get out of the bed, but Poe unconsciously pulled him closer, mumbling sleepily. “POE!” Finn struggled enough that Poe was disturbed from sleep and he lifted his head to see the new guests. 

Rey smirked, still near Luke. “So, is there another story you want to tell me about how you got Poe’s jacket? Maybe some gentle interrogation techniques as a Stormtrooper?” Rey couldn't help but ask, despite the tension she felt in the room. She canted her head just a bit as Finn blushed even deeper. 

And though Mira was enjoying the antics off to the side where Poe and Finn were, her gaze never lifted from Luke as she reeled in her emotions with each deep breath, and listened to BB-8’s chirping beeps. 

~***~ 

August Tarkin pulled his hands behind his back as he walked alongside the Commandant, having no direction for the walk, except to get a feel of the campus and an understanding of what had happened, and how it had unfolded, through the chaos and debris that remained. 

“You and I both supported the Empire in our own ways,” Commandant Hux as a traitor, but he tried. “I have kept out of this war for a while, but I am reconsidering. Your son has been making waves lately—I heard of Coruscant and the Knights.” 

No doubt, things the Commandant would have rather kept underwraps. Rumors on Coruscant always spread. 

The Knights, he only knew of through Snoke’s messengers. 

None of it mattered. “Sell the First Order, Commandant. Sell it better than the first one who came to see me, all those years ago. Is there a reason I should support it, or should I take my business elsewhere?” 

He wanted to see how the Commandant would answer. He wanted to test him—see how much of the organization was the General’s, and how much was the Commandant’s. 

He was honestly hoping the Commandant wasn’t a fan. He’d certainly try to sell it, but there would be signs if Commandant Hux was displeased with anything, and Tarkin would be looking for those. Looking to see if the Order truly was worth his time, or if the Commandant’s training had truly ruined his son…and so his organization.

KyloGlenn · Jun 29, 2016

Mira aside--although Paquin did hope she wouldn't be put in the same situation as she was with Kevan, with Mira--the thing the affected her the most was the idea of Phasma and legions of Stormtroopers trying to kill her. The people she spent a decade taking care of, knowing most of them since they were teenagers. Some even younger. 

She'd helped them through their first injuries, through puberty. 

That was upsetting. 

Added on top of working out both body and mind, she wasn't too thrilled. Especially with the latter, which she wasn't sure what that would consist of. 

And then Gnaeus asked if she wanted to make a lightsaber, something she was excited for. Her very own glowstick, even if she didn't know how to use it. "Yes! I'll get the kyber crystal." It was sitting on top of her neatly stacked armor in the dorm room. 

"I'll figure out her workout." Ariel would have to start slow with the weakling, but was already looking forward to the time where she could ride on Paquin's back so she wouldn't have to walk. Maybe she could get Gnaeus to do that... 

- 

"I'll tell you the real story, kid," Poe's voice was heavy with sleep, eyes barely open as he again pulled Finn closer. Even as he moved to try and get out of the bed again. "Listen, I had to lay my claim somehow, right? Marks on the skin just wouldn't do, those could've come from anybody." 

"Poe!" Finn groaned. If he could be, he'd probably be as red as Hux then. 

"Alright, alright." Poe chuckled, removing his arm from around Finn, albeit reluctantly. Finn quickly scrambled from the bed, Poe sitting up on it, running his fingers through his messy hair. 

There was a smirk on Rey's face as Finn approached her, her stepping around Luke to greet him. "I thought we were going to be honest with each other?" 

"Oh, shush." Finn dismissed the teasing, throwing his arms around his friend. "I missed you." He mumbled into her shoulder. 

Rey accepted the hug with a smile, her arms wrapping around him in return. Her eyes closed as she embraced the huggable man. "I missed you, too, Finn." 

Meanwhile, Luke's eyes remained on Mira, the two of them simply staring at each other as BB-8 frantically beeped out. Though, when the droid realized no one was listening, it paused. Luckily, no one moved to kill anyone yet. 

BB-8 gently beeped as it rolled into Luke's leg, earning his attention. BB-8 introduced itself and then began to explain Mira's situation. It spoke of how Mira left the Knights and was good, helping the Resistance. It spoke of the incident on the kyber crystal planet, how she managed to get the Order and the Resistance to meet. It mentioned nothing of the dreams or the holocrons. It finished by saying that Luke could confirm with Finn and Poe. 

All while this went down, Hux stood awkwardly off to the side, the cat huddled behind his legs. He wondered what the hell was happening and what he should do. 

- 

Brendol's jaw set at the mention of Coruscant and the Knights. He wished it had been more contained, but it was Coruscant. He just hoped his name wasn't tarnished. 

Even if in everyone else's eyes he'd tarnished it on his own, he wouldn't ever see that. 

As for the Knights and how Tarkin knew of that, well, it really wasn't isolated information 

"You're reconsidering? Why?" Was it guilt? Was it after the situation at the academy and how it was a little too close to home, his son? The Commandant decided that wasn't the most important thing. 

Tarkin wanted him to sell the First Order, better than his son had years ago. But that would be an issue for Brendol, who's belief in the Order was quickly dwindling. 

It began the moment his son became General and not him. Any other father would have been proud, but not Brendol. He'd been bitter, but glad that it was at least a Hux that had earned the title. Now, not so much. His son had turned the Order into something it wasn't supposed to be. 

But maybe Tarkin and he would be able to restore it before it was too late. They were both men of the Empire, after all. So, the Commandant did his best to sell it. "The Order is strong. We will win the war. This alliance my son's tried to craft with the Resistance won't last, I'm sure you and I both know that. But that won't matter, they're weak and foolish." Brendol spoke nothing of Snoke. He'd still hold out hope that his son would come to his senses and rejoin the Supreme Leader. Or he'd have to do something himself.

Lucyfer · Jun 29, 2016

“I’ll come meet you, I’ll go find what parts I can for a lightsaber,” Gnaeus said, and then he gave a nod to Ariel, “Good luck,” she was going to need it with Paquin. Though, it was likely that Paquin would at least understand the importance of it. Health was good. Exercise was good. 

Didn’t mean she’d like it, but she might complain less. “And don’t forget about that book, Kylo. We should try and find it, to teach her more on the Force.” 

Kylo, surprisingly, returned that with a nod. It was getting stuck in his head, the idea of finding it, or finding something like it. There had to be plenty of decent writings here on Korriban that revealed the secrets of the first Siths. 

Then, Gnaeus was out of the room, and off to the mess that was the training basement, where he remembered finding Kylo unconscious. 

No one had picked up the room yet, so it was still a mess of destroyed droids and burned walls. He found a light that worked, though, and skimmed the room. There were plenty of repair parts, and he was able to find some pieces for lightsaber repair amongst them. He gathered them up, then tried to think of where they might have a stash, only coming to the conclusion that it was probably all in Mira’s room. 

If not, he’d have to ask Kylo. 

He quickly climbed the stairs two at a time and moved on to find Paquin, who had been given Mira’s room to use. ‘Paquin’s room. Paquin’s room.’ His mind tried to insist. He’d have to rename it in his head. Have to help Paquin make it her own, somehow, so he’d forget who’s it used to be. 

And do something about Kevan’s room, too. 

~***~ 

Mira was waiting for the credit to drop. She was waiting for the lightsaber to ignite, even though with every second it got less and less likely. BB-8 tried again to get Luke’s attention, to explain, and finally did. 

As he did, the attentions of the others finally seemed to be grasped, as Poe and Finn seemed to realize the second story that wasn’t nearly as humorous. Luke was there—not just Rey. 

Rey and Finn broke apart, though Finn kept an arm around Rey for a few moments longer, and Finn spoke before Luke could, to confirm, “BB-8’s not lying. Poe and I caught up with her on Coruscant. Kylo Ren tried to kill her.” Which should help the case that she was good. “Um, I’m Finn, I was a Stormtrooper, I…,” he felt awkward then. He hadn’t met Luke before, and this wasn’t how he’d hoped to meet Rey’s mentor. 

“Rey has told me of you,” Luke said, calm and collected. He looked to Poe. He hadn’t met him before, but he’d been told plenty about him, too. His gaze lingered there, as BB-8 introduced him, and Poe sighed. 

“Yeah, the droid’s not lying. I don’t trust her.” He added. 

Then, Luke took in the stranger. If he hadn’t been away for so long, he might have recognized him, but as it was, he didn’t. “General Hux,” Mira said before Luke could ask, “Of the First Order.” Luke’s eyes returned to her, “As BB-8 said, I’m attempting to bring peace now, but we need to return to Cimarosa. Leia’s waiting for us.” 

It was a game—get back to Cimarosa before Luke could ask too many questions. Guilt could play a part. Leia was waiting. Poe and Finn were likely to chime in the need to get back as well, and if she could just overwhelm Luke with wonders and questions, he might act first. 

“Shoot, that’s right. Leia’s probably panicking now….” Poe remembered. 

Except, he didn’t. “Where is the book, Mira?” He used the name BB-8 had used. He did not trust her yet, either, but he was amazed by what he was hearing. He would need to find out why now, what had changed, before he could even consider such a thing as ‘trust’. He believed anyone could be redeemed from the dark side…his father had been…but it was still a difficult matter to forgive after what Mira had done. 

“Book?” Finn looked concerned, “What book?” 

Even BB-8 chirped its confusion; it hadn’t seen any book. 

Mira also canted her head, as if she didn't know. Rey said, "We sensed you in the village," Rey said, as if Mira's cant was a denial. 

"Wait, you found a village, Mira?" Finn looked hopeful, as if forgetting that Rey and Luke likely had a ship. And not realizing what village had been found. 

Question ignored, Rey continued, "Weren't you there for the Jedi Guide?" 

Mira shook her head--it wasn't a lie. She hadn't known what was pulling her there, exactly. Still didn't know what pulled her there, "I don't have any books," not a lie, either. Hux had the book. "Did Kylo Ren not pick it up?" 

Rey wasn't certain. She looked to Luke, wondering how possible it was. Luke had seemed pretty certain the book was still here. 

~***~ 

Brendol did not like Mira Vallens. That was easy to read in the clench of his jaw. Further, he did not like what Hux was doing with the Resistance, nor what he had done with Snoke, as the issue with the Knights was not even mentioned. 

Not even skimmed. ‘So, the First Order has nothing to do with you.’ It utilized some of his training ideas which, none could argue, created good warriors. The Jedi were evidence of that, even if they’d been destroyed, it had taken mass treachery to rid the universe of their ilk. 

But Brendol could be dangerous. He had betrayed the Emperor before. So Tarkin did not comment on those matters or tease. He simply agreed, “Indeed. This alliance is doomed to failure. Had I known your son was pursuing it before arriving here, I would not even be approaching you.” The suggest being that he’d never humor someone aligning themselves with the Resistance. 

“As it is, the chaos of this war is starting to negatively impact Eriadu. I want to see it brought to a swift conclusion,” he did not go into details. Details weren’t necessary, everyone knew his loyalty to his home. “The First Order seems most capable of that, although some of its directions are concerning, as you’ve indicated. You do believe your son will rise from the inevitable fallout with the Resistance? Does he have a successor if he fails?”

KyloGlenn · Jun 30, 2016

With a quick wave to Kylo and Ariel after Gnaeus walked off, Paquin exited the kitchen, nearly hopping her way back to her ‘borrowed’ room. 

The excitement she felt with the cinnamon rolls returning, she rounded the corner into the room, door banging into the wall. The neatly laid made bed wasn’t so neat anymore, the blanket was thrown over a bit. Paquin paused then, taking a deep breath. ‘Calm down, you don’t even know how to use the weapon. It’s essentially useless.’ 

But it was still exciting, even if she could do little more than stab herself with it. Even having to learn how to make it, she wouldn’t mind. ‘I just hope it doesn’t end up like Kylo’s.’ She was fairly certain something was wrong with his, though she wouldn’t say it to him. Maybe she’d ask Gnaeus. 

The bed was quickly remade, the kyber crystal retrieved from the stack she’d set it on. And then she remembered the drawer of parts in the room. She wasn’t really good with that stuff, but she’d still offer them to Gnaeus to see if they were useful. The drawer pulled out of its place, she began to head out of the room to find Gnaeus, which didn’t take long, he was already looking for her. 

She met him in the hall, holding out the drawer for him. “Are these useful at all?” It was just a bunch of metal bits mixed in with black bits to Paquin. 

- 

Luke didn’t think Kylo Ren would take the book, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a possibility. Luke was sure he wouldn’t look that hard. He knew that Kylo knew of its existence, but what purpose would it serve him? 

Luke had been so sure it would’ve remained in its place. 

And he sensed Mira in the village. What else could she be doing there? 

So, he asked again. “Ceres,” the name BB-8 had used was forgotten as he pushed for the book, “If you have it, just hand it over.” 

Hux had two options here. Stay quiet and let them hash it out, or lie and get Luke off of their backs. Hux wasn’t sure the extent of the Force. Hux could always successfully lie to Kylo Ren, but never Snoke. 

But Luke didn’t seem like Snoke. 

Hux had no idea what was in the book, or if it had Luke Skywalker’s location in it or anything that could ruin a lie. If he did lie, he could break his unspoken promise to Mira about keeping the book safe until Cimarosa. “She doesn’t have the book,” Hux took a shot. “Kylo Ren recovered an artifact from a village that was raided here on Jakku. I suppose there’s reason to believe it was this village and the book you’re looking for.” Hux was as cool as ever. And Luke didn’t know Hux and whatever tells he may have had. 

Rey’s eyes narrowed at the ginger, now named. “You’re the First Order. Aren’t the Knights of Ren allies of yours?” 

“As Mira said, she’s working at peace. Do you really think that would even be a thought if Kylo Ren and his band were still allies? We’ve gone our separate ways.” 

Rey didn’t let up. “Why would Kylo Ren even spare a glance at a Jedi Guide?” 

“Likely not to learn the ways of the Jedi. He and Snoke were on a galaxy-wide hunt for Luke Skywalker, they were looking for his location.” Oh, how he hoped Luke’s location was not in the book. ‘Sorry, Mira.’ 

- 

August agreed with Brendol on the First Order and Resistance alliance, which pleased the Commandant, but not outwardly. 

And then Tarkin spoke of how the war was negatively impacting Eriadu, without going into details, and Brendol understood then why he was there. Not simply to just jump into the mix again, but because he needed to be in the mix again. Needed to secure his home planet in some way, most likely. 

“I’m afraid it won’t be nearly as swift as either of us would wish.” This whole alliance fiasco would cause a delay. Then there was the subject of if his son would be able to rise again, if he had a successor. “An organization is only as strong as its leader,” though, at this point, his son wasn’t very strong in his eyes. 

It seemed a woman was able to bat her eyelashes and completely brainwash his son. 

“And my son has been proven to move on quickly,” Brendol did his best to disguise his bitterness. “But if he somehow does fail, an official successor has not been named.” It would have been the Lieutenant-General if he hadn’t failed miserably. There was reason to suspect Phasma was the next in line, even with Brendol there. 

But Brendol wouldn’t let it get that far. He was a strategist, ever plotting.

Lucyfer · Jun 30, 2016

Gnaeus lit up as he saw all the parts in Paquin's hands. "Hey yeah, these will do fine," he said. He had never quite understood Mira's obsession with them. It wasn't like she could have one with a natural crystal. Not as a knight. 

Besides the natural crystals were weaker. 

Gnaeus gestured back to Paquin's room. "I'll show you how to make it, first. Then you're going to have to charge the crystal with the Force." 

The knight would then move by her to enter the room she was using. He would have found its near immaculate condition amusing, if it weren't for the minimalism of its previous owner. "We have got to get you decorations or something." That way she could make it her own. She had to like color, right? 'Least we can do is get her new sheets.' 

He would take a seat on the floor. Trust Mira not to have an extra chair. Normally he'd sit down on the bed, but he didn't know Paq well enough to know if that would be an acceptable move. 

He crossed his legs and took out his lightsaber. "Best way to show you is to dismantle." Though he was absolutely not using his hands. The lightsaber lifted out of his hands. "Take a seat, I'll show you how mine's made." 

~***~ 'I buried Ceres with her parents!' The thought was a violent one that caused Mira to uncross her arms as the electric energy flowed to the tips of her fingers and seared the flesh. 

She didn't believe it an innocent error from Luke, though it may have been. From him, that name had power. 

The blonde was prepared to continue to deny the book, but Hux spoke up, and Mira felt relief. Luke seemed momentarily stunned at the news that the Knights and First Order went through a break up, even if that conclusion was obvious to reach in Mira's opinion. 

But Rey didn't let up, not in the face of Hux's snark. She redirected. "So what were you doing in the village?" Rey asked Mira. 

"Looking for a way off this planet." A truth. Her hand absently lifted to the crystals in her hair. "Felt a pull. It may have been the two of you." Green, Hux had said. Even in the dim light of the fire, Rey's eyes looked green. The last lightsaber she had seen Luke with was green. 'Those eyes....' They were impossibly familiar. 

The crystals were cool to the tips of her fingers. "Kylo would have many reasons for wanting the book, Luke's location only one." 

"But you don't know if he has it?" 

"Communication broke down a long time ago." 

It seemed the lie was working. Luke still seemed suspicious but that would have existed regardless. "Why?" 

Ever curious Rey. Always asking questions. 

That was when recognition dawned on Mira. She pushed from the wall to walk closer, Poe rising from the bed then. Rey didn't back up, though Luke's posturing became immediately defensive. He reached out for her but Rey rolled the hand off. "Why?" She asked again, but it was softer. Finn's lack of defensive posturing comforted her. 

Whoever Finn could trust, was trustworthy to her. He was so paranoid. 

The same question was on Mira's lips, but not for Rey. She took a step back as she felt the anger rising. She fought to keep it down, taking a deep breath and moving her hands behind her back as they clenched into fists. "A long story that begins and ends with fear." 

Her voice was deadened, monotonous with the suppression of anger. "You don't recall me, do you?" Rey had been young, it was possible. 

"No...should I?" 

"You know Rey?" Finn's hope was real, but it didn't cut through the anger. He glanced to Poe briefly, trying to signal that everything was cool. 

Poe could see her fists though. As much as Poe wanted her to show her true colors, he also knew he should stop things before they started. His mind reminded him that she was tired and likely dehydrated despite being wet. 

"I don't know. Do I know her, Master Skywalker?" If he was going to call her Ceres then she'd be just as petty. The inquisition could turn on Luke now. This was more interesting than a book. 

~***~ 

August enjoyed this game. Everyone had tells. The Commandant had a few. He hadn't been raised in his own program after all. He didn't mask as much as he likely wanted to. 

There was such bitterness to him! It was like he'd never enjoyed a good glass of wine and scented candles, never tasted chocolate, never had a son tell him he was loved, or rested his head on a woman's lap after a hard day. 'Has he?' The thought struck him. 

August Tarkin had not thought once of General Hux's mother. If he has one.' He could be a clone or a test tube child. 'No, not a clone.' The two weren't similar enough. Physically. 

"If the war was going to be over quick, I wouldn't even need to join," August said with a subtle smirk, "but I know how to endure these matters. Galactic conquest takes time. Your son Hux will need a successor regardless." 

There was no Hux heir. Tarkin would bet on Phasma, recalling his own son's words. Who would she name, though? How did this continue? "A poor line of succession was what ruined the Empire." It had been clear at first. The Emperor, Vader, and Wilhuff. Then it fell apart with the Deathstar and no replacement for Wilhuff. "That matter should be easy to clear up." It would be easy to see the reasoning for it. "And it is good to hear your son doesn't dwell on tragedy," he strung it out, playing his song on to keep Brendol confessing," I was afraid his jump to the Resistance alliance was a sign of his dwelling on the broken one with Snoke. The thought that the First Order needs alliance, or something else just as pathetic." How now would his new favorite bird sing? Would he continue to ignore the topic? 

August realized then, he had missed this.

KyloGlenn · Jun 30, 2016

Paquin wouldn't yet question the process of making a lightsaber, or what charging it meant. It would all be explained in time. So, she followed Gnaeus back into the room. 

"Decorations?" She mumbled. She did agree, though. Even her room with the First Order, which had strict regulations, had more character than this one. But how long would the even remain on Korriban? Would it be worth it? Maybe, for the others. Help them forget that the room had once belonged to Mira. 

She'd postpone that for later, instead taking the hair tie from her wrist and tying her hair up. She took a seat across from Gnaeus on the floor. She was immediately put off by him using the Force instead of his hands. 'Don't worry, you moved Kylo with the Force. You can move a few pieces of metal.' 

For now, she'd focus on observing and learning how everything went together, instead of on how she was going to keep everything suspended. 

- 

Luke's gaze turned into a hard glare. A death glare is what the rest of the group would refer to it as. It was directed at Mira, for both bringing up knowing Rey and calling him 'Master Skywalker.' The intent wasn't harmless like his saying of her old name had been. 

He realized now that name would do nothing good by saying it. 

"This can be discussed later." This isn't how he wanted Rey to learn of her parentage. He wanted to wait until she more mature. Both mentally and with the Force. When Obi-Wan could appear to her. When Obi-Wan was ready to tell her. 

And so, he wouldn't tell her. 

"Master Luke--" Rey tried to begin, but Luke cut her off. Rey knew for sure that she hadn't met Mira on Jakku. She would have remembered someone...pretty being on the planet. And Luke didn't deny whether they knew each other or not, so he knew something of it. 

"The book isn't here. We should leave." Luke wanted to leave Mira and the rest of them there. Or at least Mira. He was bitter and hateful. And then he realized that was the dark side, creeping in. There was still hesitance. If he did take the group, he'd have to take them back to his sister. That wouldn't be fun. 

So, he didn't officially offer, before moving to leave. 

"Alright, we can leave after you tell me how she recognizes me." Rey crossed her arms, her previously curious gaze turning into a hard stare, much like Luke's. She wasn't going anywhere until something was explained. 

Finn, who's hopeful questions had so far been ignored, could see that this conversation wouldn't be very civilized. While he didn't believe Mira was a threat to Rey or Luke and vice versa, Mira could be a threat to herself. Luke wasn't pleased with the topic. It didn't seem like something that would end well. "I think everyone's tired and frustrated. Maybe we should all--" 

"Now is not the time or place," Luke looked around at their company as he interrupted Finn, "to discuss this. You're not ready." 

- 

"The matter of a successor is one to be discussed with my son. When he returns," from wherever the hell he was, "I'll be sure to bring it up to him." He probably wouldn't. It would mean someone other than him would be officially named, which would be supported by the Order should something happen to Hux. 

Caused by Brendol or not. 

"My son was the one to decide the split. I don't believe it's a tragedy in his eyes. He'll learn soon enough of his mistake," one way or another. "Right now, he's on a power trip. He'll come to his senses." Brendol wouldn't say much else, nothing of his plans. Tarkin wasn't the most trustworthy in Brendol's eyes anymore. Especially not for the plans that Brendol was thinking up. 

Brendol only said as much as he did because, for one, he was blind to August's game. And two, it was in an attempt to convince August that the Order wasn't as much of a joke as Brendol figured he probably thought. Brendol knew that the Tarkins and Eriadu would be valuable allies. Especially when this silly truce with the Resistance failed.

Lucyfer · Jul 1, 2016

“This is the easy part,” Gnaeus said, referring only to levitating the lightsaber. Some pieces began to unscrew themselves, and to float away from the blade. 

Gnaeus’s focus grew with each second. “The metal on the outside is easy to remove. It’s not as important. The only real important piece is the crystal…and that’s the most volatile, once it’s charged.” It was the only word he could think for it. 

He took a breath as the matrix began to be undone, and the saber started to crackle with the red energy of the crystal. Gnaeus held it together through the Force, but it was a bit of a struggle as he dismantled it all. He knew that once he had it undone, it wouldn’t be so bad, but first he had to disconnect the crystal from the internal matrix. “You see how the crystal is held in place?” 

He turned the lightsaber in the air, so Paquin would be able to get a look at the skeleton, and the way the matrix intersected the crystal. It was almost completely undone, “That makes the blade. The rest of it, really, just contains all that energy. One wrong move in hooking it all up, and it will explode in your face…and that doesn’t feel good, let me tell you.” 

He was unfortunately speaking from experience, which made him cautious, as he undid the last of it, and then let out an exhale as nothing exploded. 

He levitated the crystal towards Paquin. “Can you feel its energy?” He asked her, adding, “It’s charged with the Force—that’s how you have to charge the crystal. You have to imbue it with your own energies. That’ll tie the blade to you.” Or that’s how it worked with the natural ones. 

Gnaeus imbued his a bit, but not much. Snoke had forged them for the Knights. They didn’t get to go through the process themselves. Well, Kylo did. Maybe Mira did. Maybe even Kevan. But Gnaeus hadn’t gotten to. He hadn’t really wanted to, either, to be fair. That may have been more the reason. 

~***~ 

Mira didn’t so much as flinch. She tilted her head up. She wanted to ask Luke if that look was the best he had—but of course it was. After enduring Kylo Ren for so many years, a glare hardly bothered her. ‘I win.’ 

It was petty, and Mira knew she’d be apologizing to Leia soon. 

She ought to be apologizing to Luke, and there was some guilt that she hadn’t yet spoken the words. Yet, seeing how he remained—seeing how he kept things from Rey, as he’d kept things from others—only added fuel to the fire, only reminded her of why she’d severed the ties with Luke so violently. It hadn’t just been for Kylo. 

She’d had her reasons to turn on Luke. He hadn’t helped. 

The fact that everything within felt like it was going to be crushed was evidence of that. 

Finn tried to mediate. Luke only made things worse. Rey was rooted to the ground. Mira let out a breath. They needed the ship, and they needed off the planet. 

But her anger wasn’t dissipating. ‘This is why you let Kylo and I kill them all. You protected her. You could have protected them all. Did you foresee it?’ Her mind was running a thousand miles ahead, and she wanted to scream at Luke, to drag him through the mud as she’d been dragged through it, to find out how he liked the dried blood on his hands. 

It was too much for her to find any words to fix things. 

"I am ready!" Rey said argumentatively. 

Luke, of course, didn't answer. He might have said something, but was cut off by movement. 

Poe walked forward, passed everyone, and Finn stepped to Rey. His hand brushed hers, and she took his as if it were a lifeline, still desperately staring at Luke for answers. Finn, however, leaned to whisper, “Luke’s not the only one with the answer,” he reminded, and shot Mira a glance. “She’ll tell us.” They just had to get away from Luke. Then Mira would tell them everything. 

Rey glanced around Finn to Mira. She could feel some of that anger—no, hatred. She’d felt it off Luke, too, only moments ago. It was far stronger than any anger she’d felt from Kylo, but both of them were keeping it under wraps. 

“Luke.” Poe was the one speaking now, “You’ll take us back to Cimarosa, right?” 

Luke looked to him, but didn’t immediately answer. 

Poe tried to level with him, “Look, don’t do it for her. Don’t do it for me. Do it for Leia—your sister’s running the Resistance right now, and she needs us back in one piece, or she’s going to waste resources looking for us,” his voice was lower now, “You can take Rey and leave just as soon as you get us there.” No threat of Rey learning anything she didn’t need to learn that way. “I’ll make sure the knight doesn’t do anything.” 

Luke looked them all over again; the entwined hands of Finn and Rey, Mira’s temper, and the ginger with the cat. Then he looked to Poe again. “Fine.” 

Poe smiled, “Thanks buddy,” he turned to the others, “C’mon, we’re getting off this hunk of rock!” He gestured, and Luke took the lead. 

Mira turned to Hux as Finn and Rey ran ahead, “Don’t forget the cat,” she told him, voice still deadened, fists still clenched at either side. She was trying to breathe, trying to turn her thoughts towards the positives—Rey was alive. That was positive. 

Even if the reasons, the assumptions for it, pissed Mira off. 

~***~ ‘No you won’t.’ August wasn’t sure if he would, though. He had to feel the General out first, see if he sung as well as his songbird father. 

“I see,” this was not how one went about a power trip. August knew power trips. He’d experienced a few, like when he did stand up to the First Order. He’d won that, but he knew he’d made a few missteps that could have been exploited. In hindsight, anyway. But then, he only got wiser with age. ‘So you want to go back to Snoke.’ Best not to mention the Eriadu issue in full with Brendol, then. He might try to use it as a way to return to Snoke’s side which, well, Tarkin wasn’t going to side with anyone who aligned with Snoke after his threats to Eriadu. “Well, I am glad that you still see some hope in the First Order, and your son,” Tarkin paused then. 

He’d seen enough of the campus, and Hux wasn’t here—at all. “I do need to retire. It was a long trip from Eriadu. Do let your son know I would like to speak to him tomorrow,” let Brendol think he had power again. Let him do the official arrangements.

KyloGlenn · Jul 2, 2016

Paquin listened intently and observed carefully, giving cues like nodding her head when Gnaeus asked a question or explained something. She wasn’t too terribly put off until Gnaeus spoke of it exploding in her face. 

“Explode?” It came out as a murmur. 

It took her quite a bit of willpower not to lean away from the crystal when it neared her. She certainly felt it, which made her all the more uneasy that it would explode out of nowhere. Though, Gnaeus wouldn’t shove a potential explosive in her fave if he thought it was going to do just that, would he? Paquin hoped not. 

It exploding was what she was more worried about, oddly enough. Not infusing the crystal with her energy or using the Force, but piecing it together wrong and having it explode in her face. 

Her mind wandered for the briefest moment, noting internally how her father would be able to have this done and put together in ten seconds flat, explosive crystal and all. That skill didn’t come easily to Paquin and she would certainly wish for it when she put hers together. 

She moved on from those thoughts just as quick as they came. She took the drawer of parts that had been set aside, carefully dumping them beside her. She picked out pieces that looked like the ones Gnaeus had. And there was quite a selection. Enough to build a few lightsaber. 

She wasn’t going to throw together some design and be done with it. Paquin explained, “I’m going to piece everything together with my hands and then the Force a couple times before even touching the crystal. Get to know how everything fits together,” and get Gnaeus’ approval before throwing something that could explode into the mix. 

- 

With the mention of her, the cat maneuvered out from behind Hux, jogging to Mira and rubbing up against her leg. Maybe it felt her anger and decided to give her some positive affection. ‘Can cats be Force-sensitive?’ Hux wondered briefly. That would be too many Force-sensitives in his life. 

Hux didn’t ask if she was okay, the answer clear. Instead, he nodded about the cat and hoped Mira knew he’d offer support if she needed it. He also hoped she knew he wouldn’t be very good at it if she wanted it. It was still strange for Hux, to want someone to be okay. 

But for now, they’d be getting off the awful planet of Jakku. 

And he’d have to get back into General mode, though he never really got out of it. He just knew he’d have to prepare for talk of an alliance. Their meeting had been stopped halfway through and at this point it would be wise to make one. At least temporary, but if things unfolded well, Hux wouldn’t mind a lasting one. 

With all items he’d been handed to by Mira tucked under his arm, he went to leave. “Cat,” he called, as she seemed alright with responding to that. Maybe he should give her a name…’You’re not keeping her, don’t get attached.’ Though, Hux hadn’t officially decided. 

The cat followed but stopped at the door. Hux noticed and turned back. “Cat,” but the cat just ran back into the shelter. Hux knew he couldn’t just leave her, so he went back in to pick her up. She sat by her bowl, front paws inside of the water, looking up at Hux expectantly. 

Hux realized what she wanted and grabbed a hold of the bowl, dumping the water out. While the cat protested the waste of water, she still followed when Hux exited the hut once again, following him to the ship, even in the rain. Which had turned into a drizzle as the morning hours approached. 

“I can run without you holding my hand!” Came from in front of them, very obviously Finn mocking Rey’s accent. 

“Oh, shut up!” It was a playful interaction as they neared Luke’s ship. 

Chewie and R2D2 had taken the Millennium Falcon, but Luke had his own ship. It wasn’t the one he’d dropped Rey off on Jakku with, that one had been too documented for Luke to comfortably disappear with. 

Luke silently took up residence in the pilots seat, the anger and hate still rolling off of him but it was quickly turning into worry. For his sister of course. Rey and Finn, like the children they were, shared the co-pilots seat. 

Finn hoped Luke and Rey would stick around for a little bit after they were dropped off. So he could catch up with Rey, share news of his Force-sensitivity. He wasn’t sure if Mira wanted him to do that in front of Luke and he wasn’t sure he wanted to, either. He’d reserved himself as Mira’s padawan and didn’t want her to change her mind and try to get him to go with Luke. 

- 

Hope wasn’t the word Brendol would call it. At least, not for his son. 

But he wasn’t going to object to the words. 

Tarkin paused and so did the Commandant, turning to him as he spoke of retiring. Brendol nodded at the mention of telling his son. He would tell Hux that much, at least. If the General even returned by the morning. “Of course, I’ll have him find you.” Even if his son tried to act defiant, he’d have to at least realize that was an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up. 

It was Governor August Tarkin. As much as Brendol loathed to admit it, he was a smart man and his family had plenty of war experience. 

“Rest well, Tarkin.” Brendol didn’t truly care much for disguising he was only playing nice, his voice only half filled with fake sincerity.

Lucyfer · Jul 2, 2016

Gnaeus could respect Paquin’s caution, and even showed it a bit after the confusion passed from his expression. “I gotcha. It’s the crystal that’s the dangerous part. Kylo cracked his like an idiot.” Gnaeus said with a roll of his eyes, before he began to piece his own saber back together, careful initially, and slow going. 

He didn’t make lightsabers all that often, but he knew his own. 

His own was his favorite. “Mira always liked the curved handles best,” he noted, as there were a few of those handles there. “But most of us prefer the straight grip. Works better with the Strong fighting style,” which Paquin would have to learn. 

Mira, of course, had taken to Fast more than Strong, perhaps because she knew all the strength in the world wouldn’t help her overcome Kylo Ren. “Two main styles, Fast and Strong. We blend those with the Seven lightsaber styles. Kylo’s definitely more Strong and Seven, with some Four.” 

Mira had been better at Four—Four and Two, a rather odd blend considering Two seemed to contradict Four. “And yeah…they’re just numbered.” If they had names, Gnaeus didn’t know them. He just knew the numbers from the few holocrons he’d skimmed when he was first learning to use a lightsaber himself. “Four’s a pretty good style,” he admitted. He wasn’t skilled enough to keep his focus in style Seven. 

Lightsaber back in place, he let it hover back to his lap. Then, he separated the hilt types out with the Force, and some of the pieces that fit each, so Paquin wouldn’t have to worry about too much trial and error. 

~***~ 

The cat was quickly working its way to becoming Mira’s favorite thing when it came to her and brushed by her leg. She didn’t bend to pet it, but some of that rolling anger seemed to leave as the cat turned tail to go back to the house. 

Mira waited for Hux and the cat to return, and when they did, it was with the princess bowl. “Don’t name her princess, please.” Mira was more or less sure the cat was staying, somehow. It might not end up as Hux’s cat, but it was likely going to end up with the First Order. 

Would Phasma like cats? The thought brought on amusement, that further worked against the anger, as Mira turned to follow them. 

Finn, too, unknowingly helped with his playfulness up ahead—but then Luke’s own anger was felt. ‘Damned force sensitivity.’ Mira thought it a curse, not for the first time, not for the last time. She noted then how much Hux was holding, and tugged at the Force to retrieve at least her lightsaber before they got onto the ship. 

The cat speeded past both of them—it wanted out of the rain. 

Everything else would have to wait. Best not to remind Finn or Poe that the coat was hers, lest the lie unravel. But she felt more comfortable with the saber, back on her belt, as she stepped into a confined space with Luke Skywalker. 

Finn and Rey were in the copilot seat with Poe scowling at them. “Hey, you—” 

“I’m not staying up here,” Mira told Poe, not Luke, “Just letting you know everyone’s on now.” 

Poe gave a curt nod, and let Mira leave the cockpit to find seating elsewhere. 

He knew he should go to keep an eye on her, like he’d promised Luke—she could still cause problems. “You two take care. Don’t get too frisky with mine, Rey.” Poe winked as the woman laughed a bit, wrapping her arms around Finn’s neck and shoulders and baring her teeth in mock-challenge, if only for the show. 

Luke just side-eyed them, before turning his attention to silently starting the ship and preparing them to leave Jakku now that everyone was on board. He’d not told Rey of all the Jedi rules yet. He was still considering if some of them ought to be applicable to his new order…even so, he did consider the negatives of attachment. Attachment led Vader to the dark side, and so many others before him. 

Rey asked, “So what’s happened, Finn? How did…all of this happen?” General Hux, a knight defecting, an alliance—what had she missed?!

KyloGlenn · Jul 3, 2016

“I knew that wasn’t for the aesthetic,” Paquin’s suspicions of Kylo’s lightsaber were confirmed. Cracking a kyber crystal seemed like something Kylo would do. She wouldn’t call him an idiot for it, though. She’d probably end up cracking hers somehow if she did. 

Gnaeus spoke about fighting styles and Paquin tried to follow along but she had not a clue what he was talking about. Not yet, anyway. “I passed all my math classes with flying colors, but none of them help me understand what you just said.” Strong, fast, four, seven, she could guess what they meant. 

Obviously strong meant strong and fast meant fast. Seven had to be something aggressive, as it seemed that’s more what Kylo focused on. She’d seen a glimpse of it, as well as Mira’s style, when Mira escaped the Order. When Mira very nearly could have destroyed Paquin’s medbay. That would have upset her. 

Gnaeus laid out the different hilts for her and she didn’t feel very drawn toward any of the curved styles. Paquin liked simple and straightforward, being drawn to exactly that. The encasing was straight black, completely enclosing the innards of the lightsaber. To work on the Force, as she’d have to use it quite a bit with this, she moved the other pieces away using it, keeping them intact in case her mind changed on the hilt. 

Paquin then pulled her chosen pieces to her and began to try and assemble them. Paquin learned best through trial and error, proof of that was littered along her limbs. And she was glad that she was practicing before using the crystals because she kept putting things in upside down or using the wrong screw. 

- 

“Princess is an awful name.” Hux would never name anything that, not even a bug. Well, he might name Kylo Ren that, since that’s what he was. Then it occurred to him that he technically was a prince. ‘That planet’s mine now,’ he used the remnants of Alderaan a base. 

He wondered if Leia would mention it. 

The cat ran ahead of them and Mira took back her lightsaber. Hux let it be, he didn’t think Mira would do anything stupid. While Mira went ahead to the cockpit, Hux settled into a seat in the back. It wasn’t a grand ship, but there was enough room for a couple of people in it. 

The bowl was set down by Hux’s feet, to which the cat happily hopped into the bowl, using it as a bed. Her head rested on Hux’s foot. He might not keep her, but he was still planning on getting her checked out and make sure she was healthy. He wondered if the medics could dictate that… 

He’d summon a veterinarian just to be sure. 

Poe joined him in the back, BB-8 rolling to him, and took a seat, but nowhere near Hux. His eyes were on the cat, glaring at her ever so slightly. 

Rey asked about how everything came to be and Finn took in a breath. It really was quite the story. “So, we picked up Mira on Coruscant,” he wouldn’t mention the state that she’d been in, “And she was apparently running from Kylo Ren. And Hux was there, in some weird disguise. I guess Mira just got sick of the way things were going and so she left the Knights. Hux helped her, I guess.” He started from the beginning. 

“We took her to the Resistance and got her situated. And then we caught wind of some commotion in the Order and apparently Hux ousted the Knights. Mira definitely had something to do with that,” it wasn’t a bad thing. “They ran into them on this kyber crystal planet Mira found and a meeting was arranged. I don’t know what all they talked about, I wasn’t there until after some bombs went off,” Rey’s eyes widened in question. “Snoke has a clone army that attacked Cimarosa.” He didn’t mention that Snoke knew because of Mira. 

That piqued Luke’s interest, but he didn’t say anything. Luke began having thoughts, maybe he was too isolated. He’d been away too long. But what could he do about it then? 

“I picked Hux up after he got cornered,” that surprised Rey, “I know, weird. But anyway, we were run off Cimarosa by clones and crashed on Jakku. Of course, Poe and Mira just had to follow. But that just proves how Mira's changed," he said that for Luke. "She's really awesome, trust me."

Lucyfer · Jul 3, 2016

Gnaeus chuckled a bit at Paquin’s deduction, “No, not for the aesthetic, but he’s made use of it. You’d almost think it was intentional,” but Gnaeus knew it wasn’t. Not from Kylo, of course, but he could recall both Mira and Kevan poking fun at Kylo for it, back when things were good. Of course, he made sure they both knew how useful it was. 

The amount of times they’d all gotten burned by one of those vents was ridiculous. Kylo was a good fighter—and sparring with him always meant a new wound. 

“We’ll explain the styles to you, but basically Kylo’s style is aggressive as hell, which I’m sure you’ve figured out. Seven is the most aggressive lightsaber style there is.” At least, that they’d learned. Blended with Strong and Four, it made for a difficult combo to beat. 

Gnaeus brought one knee up and let his chin rest on it, watching as Paquin chose the pieces she thought best and tried to work with them. Now and then, he’d roll one piece closer to her as a ‘hint’ that it should be that one she used next. She wasn’t doing bad, though. She seemed to understand the mechanics of it. 

Most did. 

It was the ‘Force’ side of things that complicated the blade, but it was also what made it special. The Force was tied to the user. It would always make Kylo’s blade a little more difficult for Gnaeus to use, and vice versa. “You’re getting it,” he commented softly as she neared the completion of it without a crystal. 

~***~ 

Mira did not sit. Sitting would not be good. She’d fall asleep if she sat down. Instead, she leaned on a wall near Hux and the cat. She was annoyed with Poe’s presence, but didn’t comment on it. 

It would have been nice to talk to Hux. She hadn’t even gotten to ask him how it had all happened—his leaving Snoke. She hadn’t gotten to ask him why. He didn’t know if Snoke figured out what he had done, or if he had done it for other reasons. There was still some guilt in her, even if she was beyond pleased that Hux left the Knights behind. 

Yet, even leaning against the wall, as the ship flew, Mira’s eyes became half-lidded. 

And then, they closed. 

“Mira!” Poe snapped, and Mira’s eyes fluttered open quickly, and blinked rapidly. She took a deep breath. “Come on, blondie,” he said that softer, “We’ll get you some coffee on Cimarosa.” 

“Mm.” It was odd that Poe was offering, but the reason was obvious. No one wanted Snoke figuring anything out. Especially now that Luke was here. 

“You really should mention it….” Poe let it trail off. 

“No. First Rey.” 

Poe bit the inside of his cheek. Then, “You know her? Really? That wasn’t just bullshitting?” He lowered his voice a bit to ask it, curiosity getting the better of him. 

Mira lowered her eyes to the ground. “Yes.” She knew it for sure now. Luke’s reaction had said enough. 

In the cockpit, Rey listened raptly as Finn told the story, and made a face when he mentioned saving Hux. She still wasn’t wholly convinced that the Knight was good—though she did trust Finn. She was not sure how the Knight had convinced Finn, though. 

Sure, she came after him and Hux, but that could have been for Hux’s sake. 

Things had changed, though. Last Rey saw Finn, he wouldn’t have lifted a hand to save Hux. “We’ll see,” Luke said to Finn’s comment about Mira. 

“Finn, you know she…she killed Luke’s padawans with Kylo Ren, right?” 

It wasn’t something Mira had told him. Not overtly. She had said she’d been a padawan before a Knight, and he had guessed based on how Leia had greeted her. “Yeah,” he said. He’d guessed. He’d known she’d committed atrocities, even if he wasn’t in the know of the ewoks or the rest. “But it’s not who she is now. It isn’t, trust me Rey, I can see it. I know a traitor when I see one—I know someone who’s changed their minds.” 

Rey smiled. She did want to believe him. “Twice a traitor,” Luke noted. “She could change her mind again.” 

“Yeah. Yeah she could.” Finn agreed. “But it wouldn’t be for a stupid reason.” 

The planet was before them then, and even from above it there was activity buzzing in ships, no doubt bringing supplies. Finn looked relieved, though. It looked like the battle hadn’t been lost. “We were near the Academy, if you can take us to those hangars.”

KyloGlenn · Jul 4, 2016

"I can already cross out one style for me then," Paquin mumbled as she worked. Defensive styles would probably work best for her, she figured. At least at that point in time. But, they'd see. Paquin still had to construct the lightsaber fully, which wasn't as awful as she thought it would be. 

Maybe it was because of Gnaeus' hints, which she was grateful for. 

There was also the absence of the kyber crystal. 

Gnaeus encouraged her as she neared the completion of it. She offered him a crooked smile for the encouragement, the smile widening when she completed it. She held it up to inspect it. "That looks good, right?" It all looked like it fit together, no crooked screws or bulging pieces. The activation button wasn't sticking. And then Paquin would disassemble it and do it one more time, using the Force. 

It certainly went smoother the second time around, even with the Force. She knew where and how everything went together. The real struggle was keeping all the pieces levitated. She dropped a few pieces at times, but she was still proud of herself. "Alright," she felt a little more comfortable moving forward, as far as the hilt side of things went. 

- 

Hux wanted to tell Mira to forget Rey, that her issue was more important. But he didn't. He was fairly certain that wouldn't work, if only for the fact that was Mira's relationship with Luke. She probably wasn't too excited by the idea of asking Luke for help, considering all that she'd done. 

Would Luke even help? Hux wouldn't put it past the Jedi to do so. He did run off into hiding instead of trying to help out his sister or something of the likes. 

Hux came up with an idea to keep Mira awake. Give her a task, a responsibility. What better than to shove the cat into Mira's arms? Not only could she occupy herself with the cat for a little while, but she would have to remain conscious in order to not drop the ginger fuzz. 

At least until she could get her hands on some coffee. Maybe an entire coffee shop, Mira would need. 

So, that's what he did. He plucked the cat from the ground, which she didn't protest initially, forcing her into Mira's arms as Poe continued to speak. "You know her from the Jedi academy?" It wasn't hard to piece together. Where else could it have happened? Luke had been gone for sixteen years. And while Mira had said nothing of the sort, that didn't mean anyone else hadn't. Like Leia, 

But the Rey thing, that was new. 

Luke silently complied with Finn's words. 

As soon as they entered the planet's atmosphere, Luke felt Leia. As they approached the hangar, the feeling became stronger. And Luke couldn't have been the only one to feel it. Leia knew. And Luke could sense the emotions that Leia was feeling. Realization. Relief. Anger. Oh, the anger. 

As they landed, Finn spoke some final words on the matter of Mira. "Just give her a chance, guys. Keep your minds open, you'll see." He smiled from Rey to Luke, rising from the shared seat.

Lucyfer · Jul 4, 2016

Paquin didn’t really seem all that aggressive, and even Gnaeus was thinking that style 3 might be best for her. Though, none of them were exactly experts in it, they had a few holocrons that could assist. The Knights were, generally speaking, offensive fighters. 

As a lightsaber was held up for his examination, he took it from her and turned it over, felt it out with the Force, and then nodded before handing it back to her, to let her disassemble it and begin to put it together anew, this time with the Force. “At least you’ve got the picking things up part down.” Mostly. 

She still dropped things. Dropping things wouldn’t matter so much, what was really going to matter was just not mucking it up. “If you want to practice some more with putting it together with the Force, you can go ahead. Otherwise, I can try to explain how to charge an object with the Force.” 

Without a crystal. He glanced around the room. “Hold on,” he rose, “I should have something that’ll help,” he was pretty sure he could find a Force-Weapon in Kevan’s room. Kevan had found a few on Korriban that he liked, and those took to the Force easily so far as channeling and charging went. 

It would give Paquin a good idea of how to push the Force into an object. 

He strode out of her room and into Kevan’s. There was a broken plant vase on the floor, but other than that, it was oddly undisturbed. He saw a few of the polearms leaning on the wall, and he grabbed one of the Force-Glaives, and walked with it back to Paquin’s room. He returned to sitting on the floor, and laid the glaive down on the ground besides him. 

“If you want to prepare for the crystal, this is a force-weapon. You channel the force into it to make it useful. Kind of the prototypes before lightsabers came about,” he offered. “There were lots of them here on Korriban.” 

~***~ 

Cat. 

The arrival of the cat was far too sudden, Mira had barely realized Hux had moved, but she grasped at the cat. “Hello,” she greeted it, and canted her head a bit. 

Crystals moved. 

The cat batted at the braid, climbing a bit up on Mira in order to do so. 

She decided she didn’t mind, and let her attention returned to Poe who was now occupying her with conversation as well. Anything to keep her awake, it seemed. She was grateful to both of them. “Yes,” she answered Poe. “It isn’t a surprise she doesn’t recall me. She was…very young. I thought that….” ‘Thought that Kylo killed her.’ 

Mira cut the words off. “…well, that she was dead.” For the obvious reasons. 

The cat’s nail caught in the braid, and it tugged at it in a desperate effort to get it free, letting out an annoyed sound as it did so. Mira lifted one hand, carefully balancing the cat in the other arm, to get the claw out of her braid. 

“Rey is not going to like this,” Poe muttered. “You really shouldn’t tell her, Mira. Let Luke handle it.” 

Mira bit the inside of her cheek, cat’s claw free then. The cat then put both front paws into her shoulder to pull itself up and get at the braid that had so offended it with teeth. ‘Luke doesn’t handle things well.’ She shouldn’t be so bitter, but she was. 

And the guilt came to rival that feeling as she felt Leia’s presence. There’d be no hiding from Leia, would there? Well, maybe. “We’re back,” she murmured. “We should take the cat back to your ship so it doesn’t get lost,” she spoke to Hux. It was her one shot at avoiding Leia, getting out of the ship before Leia showed up. 

But of course, that was when Finn came to join them at the back, announcing the very same, “We’re back guys. Looks like we won,” he wore a grin, then laughed a bit as the cat bit down on both braid and ear, causing Mira to wince, “Does that thing have a name yet?” 

Mira shrugged, grabbing the cat by the nape of the neck and bringing it back down into her arms. With a wave of her hand, the ramp dropped. 

And Leia was waiting right outside, arms crossed. She didn’t even wait for them to exit the ship, she walked right up the ramp. She gave a passing glance towards Hux, “Phasma will be here shortly,” she told him, and looked to Finn just as he opened his mouth. 

He shut it. Poe quickly moved away from the path towards the cockpit. 

She might have gone right to the cockpit, but there was no need. 

Rey and Luke came out of their own accord, and Rey all but ran to Leia, a huge grin on her face. Leia let the young Jedi padawan embrace her, and she did return it, but her eyes remained on Luke. “It’s so good to see you again,” Rey said into the embrace. 

Leia patted her back, “And you,” she agreed, her hand running down the young one’s back before gently breaking the embrace.

KyloGlenn · Jul 4, 2016

While waiting for Gnaeus to grab whatever he was going to grab, Paquin disassembled the lightsaber for a second time, with the Force and set the pieces aside, in a certain order for her to recall where everything fit. She was actually quite proud of how she did, despite the parts she'd dropped. 

She'd work hard not to drop the charged kyber crystal, even if that seemed like it wasn't enough to break it. She wasn't sure how much it took to set it off. 

Gnaeus returned with some strange weapon, then, and returned to the spot in front of her. She eyed the Force-weapon. "I'm glad lightsabers were invented." Not only did they look cooler, in Paquin's opinion, but they certainly were more convenient. A colorful glowstick sword that could retract? Fun. 

Getting stabbed or burned by one probably wasn't fun, though. 

But which weapon was more fun wasn't the topic of their lesson that day. Paquin looked back to Gnaeus, "How do I go about charging it?" There wasn't some Force outlet she could plug it into if it could be plugged in. And she wasn't about to try shoving it with the Force with it so close to Gnaeus. 

- 

Hux paid some attention to Mira and Poe's conversation but didn't open his mouth to add anything. Not his place or his business. He cared more about Mira and the cat, glad to see that the cat was playing her role in keeping Mira awake, even if that including piercing Mira's ear for her. 

They were back on Cimarosa, much to Hux's relief. He couldn't wait to find something to soothe his sunburn, though he probably wouldn't rest much. He had a lot of motions to go through, including catching up on what happened during his absence. 

Mira suggested taking the cat back to the First Order ship and Hux was about to agree, but Finn came back to them and pushed that idea to the side for a moment, asking about 'that thing's' name. Hux felt all the more urge to name the cat, but that wasn't important right then. 

The ramp opened and before anyone had a chance to exit, Leia stormed right on in. She informed Hux that Phasma would be meeting him shortly. Hux was glad Phasma was around, he didn't want to imagine the disorder they'd be in without the woman. 

As Rey embraced Leia, Poe shuffled to Mira, leaning in a small bit to whisper, "Seriously. Consider not telling Rey." Poe couldn't imagine she'd take it well. She'd waited for her family on Jakku for years, hoping for them to come back, only to discover that Luke, someone she was supposed to trust, was the one that left her. 

Rey and Leia released each other, the older woman's eyes still settled on Luke. "And you," Leia practically growled at the man she hadn't seen in sixteen years. Rey moved to join the others then, Phasma seeming to join them at that time as well. 

"Leia, I--" Luke was cut off by Leia's hand raising and rather harshly hitting Luke across the face. The smack was loud and made it clear how Leia felt towards her brother. 

"You know what that's for," the hand that had slapped Luke folded into a pointed finger as she spoke, that also being shoved in Luke's face. Leia wished to do so much more than just hit Luke once. She wanted to kick him and yell at him. But she also wanted to hug her brother. But mostly beat him.

Lucyfer · Jul 4, 2016

Charging a thing was odd. The weapon he was presenting her with wouldn’t work the same as the crystal, but it would get the point across. It didn’t really hold the charge that it took. It was expended. The weapon had to be constantly focused on in order to maintain the Force. 

“Take hold of it, first—you won’t do that with the crystal, but you can work up to charging the glaive without holding it later,” he said. “The way you’re going to manipulate the Force will sort of feel like pushing it, but from all sides. You don’t want to push it away from you, so you have to focus the Force into it from all angles. A lot of objects will crack or break under the pressure, but these weapons, and the crystals, don’t.” 

Then, he amended, “Well, they do. Just…not as quickly.” He then thought to add, “You really should try to work on doing it…gently.” So that the threat of it breaking was lessened. The crystal still could shatter, but that usually came about when too much Force was put inside it. 

It could happen otherwise. He knew all too well that if someone focused on it, they could break the lightsabers that were wielded via Force. “It’s supposed to be a meditative process. An attuning with it, and making it a part of you, with your natural Force and life flowing in the crystal.” 

~***~ 

Mira didn’t look to Poe as she said, “Lies won’t help the situation, either. I’m not going to lie to her.” If Rey asked, she’d tell her. However, she would at least not approach Rey to give the answer. She’d offer Luke that much time to try and figure out how to break the news to the young woman. 

Poe didn’t seem satisfied with the answer, but both of them were distracted by Leia’s outburst. Rey audibly gasped, and Finn quickly stepped further away, closer to the Poe and Mira group. He was plotting still how to get Mira and Rey together, so they could talk. With how Leia was distracting Luke, it might be possible. 

The slap was satisfying to Mira, though she tried not to show it, glancing to Phasma when she entered. Phasma was eying the cat with curiosity, but her attention also shifted to Luke and Leia. 

“Leia, I am sorry.” 

“Sorry doesn’t cut it, Luke.” The small general said immediately, “You do this every time!” He had left her to deal with the Empire while he went off to do whatever in Dagobah. Now he was leaving her to fight the First Order—or maybe not—but definitely Snoke, and her son was one of their enemies. 

She was strong enough to do it. 

That didn’t mean she liked to do it, all alone. 

Even Han was gone now. 

Phasma stepped to Hux, “This is a scene we do not need to be a part of,” she whispered lowly, so as not to disturb the fighting siblings. They had no reason to observe Leia’s reunion with her brother, even if Phasma was surprised that Hux was sharing a ship with Luke. She’d ask him how when they had the space. Right now, they needed to acquire that space.

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I made something that'll love me even when I won't

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I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

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I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

either born in hell or heaven sent

I made something that'll love me even when I won't

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